Blank Slate
by SocialExperiment
Summary: No memories, small cave, a blank slate they're trying to fill. MK
1. 20 questions

"I think," the man said, "that we're lovers." He sat crossed legged, wearing his sheet comfortably tied around him like a robe.

The girl huffed, "You keep saying that. I know that's not true." She folded her legs up beneath her. "I _know_ it." She fiddled with the knot holding her cloth in place, certain that she was probably showing more than she wanted to. She smoothed her hair over her shoulder fiddling with the black locks.

"How do you know it?" The man asked, his violet eyes twinkling. A dark lock of hair tumbled over his forehead.

"You know it too." The girl huffed, knowing what he was asking and not willing to give in. "Ask me something else."

"It's your turn." The man said wagging a finger.

The girl sighed, "I think... we're related." She huffed again and looked away. "You're way older than me, maybe you're my father."

"I'm certainly not your father!" The man said affronted. He sat forward. "I'm not _that_ much older than you."

"But do you _know_ it?" The girl said, her lips twitching in amusement.

The man blinked, not used to her teasing him back. Then he thought about the question and an odd look went over his face. "Yes, I _know_ I'm not a father." He smoothed a hand over the beads and glove on his right hand, a habit he had when thinking seriously. "And that's important."

"It's important that you're not a father?" The girl said eagerly. She leaned forward putting her hands on the floor. "How is it important?"

The man stared at her, violet eyes meeting blue as they willed each other to remember, something anything, just to remember. Finally he looked away and scrubbed at his face. "I don't know. Dammit."

"Ugh!" The girl made a fist of her hand and slapped it against the ground. "This is driving me crazy!" She stood up and put her hands on her hips and addressed the rough ceiling of the cave they were in. "What the world is this supposed to prove!? What do you want from us?!" She ran over to the heavy wooden planks that made up the only entrance to the room. "Let us out!" She kicked at it. Her face crumpled up and she hopped to the wall. "Ow..."

The man slowly got up and approached her. He'd learned not to go to her right away, it only made her angrier. "I don't know why you're so certain they're listening to us, or that there is a "they" to listen." He knelt and took her foot in his hands. "And you shouldn't do that, you only hurt yourself." He massaged it slowly, the beads on his hand soothing the throbbing flesh.

"Of course there's someone listening. And there has to be a they, otherwise who's feeding us?" She pouted. "And it makes me feel better."

"I think it's been a week since we woke up here." The man mused, starting to move his hands up her leg. "And yelling at them hasn't helped in all that time, even if they are there."

She jerked her leg out of his hands. "You're terrible!" She turned her back to him and stared at the door. "They could at least have put a knob on this side. Then I could rattle it instead of kicking it."

"Very inconsiderate of them." The man agreed coming up behind her to stare at the door. "Maybe they're small people. Maybe that's why it's such a small door."

"It's not that small." The girl said looking up at him. It was just a few inches taller than her.

"It's not that big either." It was a couple inches below his eye level. "I'm just suggesting, my lady, that perhaps "they" might not be human." He put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them soothingly.

"Youkai?" She said. "I think... I think I'd feel it if they were... I think I'd _know_." She looked back at the door, her brows furrowing.

"Only if they came close enough for us to feel them." The man said. "They never come in here while we're awake. And they could have human servants." He adjusted his hands on her shoulders to deepen the massage.

She batted his hands off. "Oh, stop it." She gave him an annoyed look. "So what do we know so far?" She walked over to the other side of the small room, as far as she could get from him.

"That we have been here about a week, but we are sure that we were somewhere else before. We knew each other before." He said settling back into his seat with a sigh. "Also we know that there are people missing." They'd established that early on. The girl was sure there was supposed to be someone else with them. Once he'd thought about it he'd agreed. "That we know the truth when we hear it." That had been an important one, it was what had prompted the "I think" game. He fingered the glove he wore, "That I should not remove this." She nodded, it gave her a sick feeling to think of him taking it off, but she didn't know why. "I know how to wear a robe, and you do not." He grinned at her. "My offer still stands to help you in that matter."

"No way!" She said clutching the cloth tighter. "We also know that you're a pervy letch!"

"And you, sadly, are not. " The man said with mock sadness. He sighed and turned serious. "We know there is something else we're supposed to be doing and that it's something important. We know that you like to bathe more than normal."

"We do not!" The girl said indignantly. "I like to bathe a perfectly normal amount." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I _know_ it." She turned her head away in a huff. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I do."

"You want to be taking a bath right now." He guessed.

"And you want to peek." She said turning her nose up. She glanced at the alcove that held the little hot spring and bathing supplies. "It's not like we have anything else to do here."

"Except find a way to escape." He reminded her. "You _do_ still want to escape?"

"Of course!" She said looking towards him. "I don't like being kept like a pet hamster."

"A pet what?" The man said startled out of his teasing.

"You know, little rodent, kind of like a mouse? People keep them in cages and feed them lettuce and they run on little hamster wheels? You know, hamsters!" She waved her hands around.

"No, I don't. That's another strange thing you've mentioned that I don't know." The man said. "My lady, I think this bears exploring. You have mentioned teevees; boxes that show plays and actors from far distances and times. That is a wonder I know I have never experienced, yet you say it is common place. You spoke of Aye-poods-"

"Ipods." She corrected.

"Aye-podz," the man nodded. "A device you say is hardly bigger than my thumb, but holds hours and hours of music and song. I have never heard of a magic to capture music and replay it like that."

"I told you, it's not magic-"

"My lady, how else would such things be possible-"

"Good sir," She said imitating his tone, "I've told you before it's science, not magic."

"No science I know of could make such things." The man said. "I think perhaps you are a foreigner."

"No, I'm not." The girl said.

"You don't sound certain." The man said. "I'm _certain _that I'm from Japan."

"I'm _certain_ that I'm from Japan." She said.

"My Japan does not have Aye-podz, teevees or hamsters."

"Well, mine does!" She said. "Perhaps, Good Sir, you just live under a rock."

"My Lady," he grimaced, "I think it is more likely that you are very pampered. Perhaps you are a princess and spoiled with strange creatures and devices from foreign lands." He paused. "And lots of time to bathe unnecessarily."

She actually took it into consideration. "No, I'm not a princess. I _know_ it. I'm not anyone important." And she shot him a glare. "And bathing once a day isn't unnecessary, it's normal."

The man frowned. "That's not right." He waved her silent before she could complain. "I mean about you not being important, not the bathing." He grinned. "Though I'm not wrong about that either."

"What do you mean?" The girl said curling up her knees and resting her chin against it. "I'm not special in any way."

"Other than the fact that someone has deemed you important enough to lock away in a little room with me with no memories of your past." He reminded her. "Perhaps you were an important lady, and I was your servant and we were caught together."

"That would make it my fault that we were here!" The girl said, and he could see guilt flashing in the back of her eyes. "Maybe I was your servant and I'm here because of you!"

"If you are," the man said a wicked gleam appearing in his eyes, "and I am your master, you should do as I say."

"You are not my master!" She said quickly, trying to scoot backwards into the wall. "I _know _it."

He sighed and looked down. "And I _know_ I am not your servant. But I do know that you are important, My Lady. I just do not know how." He looked up with his lips making a startled oh. "Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I am not a father." He pointed to her eagerly. "Perhaps you are my intended and were meant to bear my children!"

She blinked. "That's...almost familiar."

He stood up eagerly and started to walk over, his arms wide to embrace her. She scrambled up and ran to the other corner of the room. "That's not what I meant!" She cried. "I meant hearing you say "bear my children!" That's what sounded familiar."

The cave went dark. The strange ambient light that illuminated the room had disappeared abruptly and silently.

The girl gave a strangled squeak. It never failed to startle her.

"I suppose that marks the end of another day, day nine by my count." The man said with a sigh. "You will bathe now?"

"Yes." The girl said inching towards the alcove with the bathing area. The water was lit, so she could still bathe. "No peeking." She reminded him.

"No peeking." He agreed, following silently after. He'd found that he could see her in the bath much better than she could see him from the water. As long as he stayed back and along the wall he could see nearly everything.

"I don't hear the futons rustling!" She said looking over her shoulder into the room.

The man reached out with his foot and swished it through the futon blankets. "I'm laying down, My Lady." He called. "I await you eagerly."

She cursed. "Better not be too eagerly," she muttered as she fumbled with the knot of her sheet. She hated that they only had one futon. Even more she hated that she felt too guilty to claim it for herself and make him sleep on the floor. She'd tried it the first night herself and had woken up chilled and in pain. Now she grudgingly shared it with the man, and he'd kept his hands to himself. But she was certain that wouldn't last long. Every day, as the strangeness of their memory loss and their confinement became more normal to them, he grew bolder and more touchy feel-y.

She finally dropped that shapeless swath of fabric and the man gave a silent "oh" of appreciation. At this time every night he sent a silent prayer of thanks to who ever put them in this little cave together. The girl was simply perfection. Ripe full breasts, tiny waist and a pert rear that just begged to be pinched. Her skin was lightly sun-kissed but still creamy white, like a peach not quite ripe. She bathed often, so she smelled as sweet as she looked. She smelled like tart, ripe apples. It gave him a fierce appetite.

He scratched at his hair, he'd borrowed a bit of his linen napkin yesterday to tie it back. The girl had looked at him oddly before confessing that the little dragon tail looked familiar. He couldn't confess, without inviting her wrath, that the sight of her bare flesh in water was familiar to him. He knew it was true that they were not lovers, but it was also true that he knew her naked body. He wanted to know it better, and that seemed familiar too. He couldn't understand, if he'd been in her presence for as long as they both thought, how he had not sampled that sweet body. What held him back?

After her bath, the girl followed the edge of the wall to the futon. She tested the edge of the bedding with her foot to make sure she wasn't about to step on her cell-mate. "I'm coming in ." She said softly, just in case he'd fallen asleep.

"I'm against the wall. You have plenty of room, My Lady." He sounded amused.

Her lips twisted. He always sounded amused, like she was his own personal jester. "Aren't you going to bathe?" She asked as she settled in. "You didn't yesterday."

"I haven't been doing any sort of strenuous activity." She could hear his shrug in his voice. "I do not think I have gotten too soiled sitting here in this room."

"If you don't tomorrow I'm not letting you in the futon, because that's just gross." She said as she snuggled into the blankets.

"I think you just want the opportunity to peek at me." The man said and she could feel him moving closer, his warmth not far from his back.

"Ew! Gross!" She said over her shoulder, indignant. "For all I know you're my brother!" She gasped. "I do have a brother! I know it!"

The man drew back, distressed. If she was his sister it would explain so much, why he hadn't been in a relationship with her, but why he knew her body. Then his brow cleared. "But it's not me. I'm an only child. I know it."

"You sound relieved." The girl said and he could tell she'd rolled over towards him despite the fact that pitch darkness of the room wouldn't allow him to see her.

"I am." The grin was back in the man's voice. "It means I am free to appreciate you."

"Ew." She huffed and turned back over. "You know, you might not be free." She smoothed her hand over the soft futon cover. "You could be married."

The was a pause. "No, I'm not married," He said. "I know it. Are you?"

"No." The girl said quickly. "But... you could be engaged."

"Are you?" He asked curiously. He could not understand how a prize such as her could be unclaimed.

"No." The girl said and then covered her heart. "I feel sad. Thinking about that makes me feel sad."

"Maybe you were engaged and your man broke it off." He suggested. "Though I think any man who would do that a fool. More likely, he might have been killed in war."

"No, that's not it." The girl could feel tears pricking at the back of her eyes. "It's something sadder."

"Sadder than death?" The man said. "Then let's leave that alone for now. Broken hearts aren't something to sleep on if you want pleasant dreams."

"You never said if you were engaged." She said, for once wishing the man's wandering hands would squeeze her shoulder in comfort.

"I'm not." He said, but didn't add their customary "I know it" to seal the knowledge as truth.

"Are you certain?" The girl asked curious about the omission.

"There is...something there." The man said reluctantly. "I know I am not betrothed or otherwise engaged... but there is a feeling, something like your sadness. I suppose you could call it, longing?"

"Oh!" The girl said eagerly. "Maybe you're in love but haven't confessed yet!"

"Does that sound like me?" The man chuckled.

The girl rolled her eyes in the dark. "No, I guess not. But... maybe she was someone you couldn't confess to. Like, someone important."

"Mmm..."

"Am I right?" The girl said eagerly.

"No," He said. "Or, at least, not completely. But I think you are close."

Silence fell between them and he almost thought she slept.

"I'm sorry." She whispered finally. "I bet it's hard to be in love with someone you can't be with."

"You sound like you know." He said softly.

"I think I do." She whispered back.


	2. That's Entertainment!

It was pitch black and she was embarrassed that her palm was sweating in his grip. I'm not afraid of the dark, she thought to herself. _I know it._ But this wasn't normal darkness. Even the bathing alcove was dark, it's light went off a couple of hours after the main room turned black. She knew she'd never experienced this kind of all encompassing darkness before.

The man's hand squeezed hers. "My Lady, do you sleep on your feet?" He whispered.

"No." The girl whispered back. "I'm still awake." They'd been trying for a week now to stay awake through the night, hoping to surprise their captors and escape.

Food, water, fresh blankets and cloth for their robe/sarongs appeared each morning neatly presented in the middle of the room. All remains of the previous day were removed. They'd never seen the people who delivered the items or woken when the door opened. It took them too long to think of staying up to catch their captors in the act, making the man wonder if the idea had been suppressed with their memories. The thought was terrifying, to think they could be manipulated so completely.

The man reassured her, pointing out that that they had thought of it, and that they could remember their past lives with some help. It indicated their jailer's control over their minds was not complete or stable. He kept to himself that he was worried it had only occurred to her to stay awake, and that she was more emotionally involved in escaping.

But so far that had not been able to figure out a way to stay awake. By their count, the light filled the room for about fifteen hours. They'd first tried to stay awake without letting their captors know, laying on their futon and pretending to sleep. Then they'd tried napping during the "day" thinking that they fell asleep accidentally. When they still fell asleep, they suspected their food and water was drugged. They'd gone without for a day, the girl had even forgone her bath in case the bathwater contained something. When that hadn't helped they'd given up any pretense of trying to hide what they were doing.

Now they stood in the middle of the room, holding hands. They _would_ stay awake, and the moment the door opened they'd rush out and face whatever they saw. It was reckless but they'd been there almost a month now and they had to escape. She shifted uneasily.

"How long has it been?" She whispered. Her legs were beginning to shake from the tension of holding herself ready for flight.

"Ten minutes longer then the last time you asked." He said with a chuckle. She dug her nails into his hand. "Ow!" He protested and then answered her honestly. "It's been about five hou-"

The next thing she knew light was flooding the chamber and she was sprawled painfully on the floor. The man still held her hand and was blinking awake next to her. They glanced over and saw their futon made up with new blankets, a fresh plate of fruit and a pitcher of water beside it. New swathes of fabric laid neatly on the top of the blankets.

She scrambled up to her feet. "No! No!" She stamped her foot. "That's _so_ not fair!"

The man sat up at watched her throw a fit. He braced his elbow on his bare knee and rested his chin on his fist. He wondered when she'd realize their captors had taken their clothes while they slept. He was disappointed that their escape attempt hadn't worked. And he was pretty sure it was some effect of his captors that he wasn't _more_ disappointed. He should be furious and desperate. That was the normal response. Instead, watching her bounce and jiggle in front of him was proving to be more than enough compensation for their failure.

"You know what it is? It's cheating, that's what!" She waved a fist at the door, jumping in place in her fury."You hear me? Cheating! Cheaters!"

"Mmm...yes." The man said. "Cheating."

Clued in by the way his voice had deepened and the lascivious cast he gave to the word cheating, the girl looked back at him. He grinned at her from the floor, in his usual cross legged seat and completely naked.

"Oh!!" She screamed, covering her eyes. A sudden thought hit her and she peeped through her fingers at herself. "OH!!" The man grinned as she dashed across the room to the futon, giving him a lovely view of her rear before she dove under the blankets. "You pervert! Lecher! Why didn't you tell me!?"

"My Lady, why would I ever want to do that?"

"You're _enjoying_ this!" She said, peeping out from under the blankets. "How can you be enjoying this?!"

"Because you are lovely to look at." He said honestly. "Especially when you are flushed with anger. Your skin goes rosy, all over." He stood up, waxing poetic on her charms. "And your curves move so beautifully." He mimed the jiggle of her chest.

The girl screeched and hid her head under the blankets. "Clothes! Clothes!" She shouted and tossed one of the cloths at him.

He picked it up with a deep sigh, tying it about himself. "I'm decent, My Lady."

"Yeah right." She muttered pulling her cloth under the blanket. "I know that's not true, like, _ever._"

::0::0::

"My Lady, you are making me dizzy." The man said, cracking an eye watching her pace the perimeter of the room.

"Sorry I can't sit with my eyes closed for _hours_ like you can." She said irritably.

"It's called meditating, and it's very relaxing." He said, his posture relaxing. "I could show you how."

"What do you need to relax from?" She asked incredulously. "All we do is sit here all day!" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "In fact, what we should do is exercise. We're going to be all out of shape when we finally get out of here."

"Exercise?" The man said, amused. "What do you propose, that we run in circles around the room?"

"No, I don't know..." She sighed then lit up with a bright smile. "I know aerobics! We can do the morning aerobics routine. I used to do it in the park in the mornings with Mom, back when I was in grade school."

"Air-oh-biks?" He asked confused. "This is something I've never heard of."

"You _must_ have lived under a rock." She huffed, holding her hands out to get him to his feet. "They play it every day on the radio, and there's always someone doing it in the parks."

"Ah, this "Ray-deh-oh" you've spoken of before. It plays music like Aye-Podz do." He said as he took her hands and stood with her.

"Yes, and people talk on it and they do news announcements and comedy routines. It's like tv, but without the pictures." She said. "Anyway, they also do the exercise routine. Like this." She stepped back. "First you stretch." She waved her arms around, rolled her head, put her hands on her hips and tipped to the right and left. She stood on one foot and pulled her leg back, then switched and pulled the other leg. "Then you start."

She backed up. "One," she chanted, touching her shoulders. "Two," she put her hands on her hips. "Three," She bent at the waist and touched her toes. "One!" She stood and touched her shoulders again. "You too, c'mon! Two," she touched her shoulders.

"No, thank you, My Lady." The man laughed leaning against the wall. "Though this entertaining, so feel free to continue."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, be that way." She turned her back and continued her routine. "Three!" She bent and even through the shapeless cloth he could see the a perfect outline of her luscious derrière.

"Very entertaining." He said, his voice deepening.

"Ugh!" She spun around, covering her rear. "You pervert! I can't turn my back on you for a minute!" He just grinned at her and her lips twitched. When he smiled like that, boyish and unrepentant, she couldn't stay angry. His eyes twinkled and she huffed. "I'm not going to let you stop me, next is jumping jacks." She closed her eyes and jumped, spreading her legs and clapping her hands over her head. "One!" She called, then pulled her feet together and her hands to her thighs. "Two!" She repeated it and couldn't help smiling when the man broke out in a hearty laugh at her antics.

He laughed and watch her, jumping, yelling, laughing and most of all bouncing most delightfully. He was a little distressed at how his eyes wandered away from her jiggling and up to her smiling and laughing face. He felt it was out of character for him to enjoy that more then bouncing breasts, especially ones as nice as hers. She winked at him and he was startled into a smile.

"People do this everyday?" He asked. "You would think they would have better things to do."

"We used to do it in preschool too." She said stopping her jumping, her chest heaving. She was surprised she was out of breath so soon. She must have gotten more out of shape then she'd thought. "But we used to sing instead." She took a deep breath, put her hands on her head and started to sing, off-key."Head, shoulders, knees and toes," she sang touching each body part. "Knees and toes."

He laughed again and she grinned at him, she liked it when he laughed. It was deep and filled the room. "Head! Shoulders! Knees and Toes!" She sang louder, repeating the move. "Knees and toes!"

::0::0::

"They could at least give us a little variety." The girl complained picking at the rind of an orange. "Plus, all this fruit is making my stomach hurt."

"Is your name Yumi?" The man asked, swallowing a bite of apple.

"No." The girl said irritably. He'd been guessing names for two days now. It was getting old. "Is your name Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Be serious." The man sighed. "That's not even a real name."

"It is too." She smirked. "It's German, from the story. Everyone knows that story."

"Not everyone, My Lady." He said, his apple forgotten."I do not know what "Jer-man" is, or this story you mention." He peered at her. "Are you sure you are not foreign?"

"I'm sure!" She insisted. "I may not remember my name, but I'm sure of it. I've never left Japan, I don't even have my passport." She glance at the man and uncomfortable with his close study. "And Germany is a country, the people and things from it are German. It's in the west, far west." She looked at him, her brows puckering. "You really don't know that?"

The man shook his head.

"I'm not hungry." The girl said putting the orange back in the bowl. She walked over to the futon and curled up facing the wall.

"Do you really feel that ill?" He asked, leaving his apple and scrambling to his feet. "Is there anything I can do for you? Do you want some water?" There had been fear every day since they'd woken up in this little stone room. It was impossible not to be afraid when you didn't know who you were, why you were being held captive, or how long their confinement would be. But those were fears he'd gotten used to, plus he suspected their captors kept a damper on their emotions making their feelings distant and less urgent.

But the thought of the girl failing awakened a much more immediate terror. If she took sick how would he care for her? Would their captors provide healing tools as they did food? Or would they take her away to care for her themselves? Or worse, if they were truly pets as the girl thought, would they just discard her and keep him? Would he wake up tomorrow and find himself alone, never knowing what happened to her?

She must have heard something of his panic in his voice. She looked over her shoulder at him, brow furrowed. "What? No, I'm fine... I just... I'm tired of all this." She waved her hand encompassing the little room, the pile of fruit they found replenished each morning, the pitcher of water that magically stayed cold all day and every other thing she'd seen every "day" for the past month and a half. She put her head back down. Her eyes watered and she curled up tighter. It made the man upset when she cried, she didn't want him to see.

The man sighed. He walked over to the futon and laid down next to her, knowing now was not the time to touch. He curled around her back, letting her feel his nearness and body heat. "Don't cry, My Lady." He said softly to her back. "Your man will come for you. Didn't you say he'd come no matter what?"

"He will." She whispered, her voice thick and unsure. "He will." She'd woken from a dream, a week ago, and shook the man awake her mind full of disjointed memories to share. She'd babbled about another girl with a weapon that soared through the air, a child with a tail, and a man, a hero, dressed in red. The hero fought for her, had saved her, and promised to protect her. They were the missing people, their companions.

He'd remembered them as well. Not their names, but the feeling of looking to the side and seeing a woman in a kimono, the weight of a small body on his shoulder, and watching as a white-haired man flew through the air in leaps and bounds with the girl on his back. Her man wasn't a man at all, but a half-demon. She'd grabbed at his hands in the dark, squeezing tight, and he could picture her eyes flashing as she'd told him that the half-demon would come for her, that he always came for her. As she'd said it, he'd known it to be true. Her man would come.

But it had already been a month before she'd even remembered him, and now another two weeks had passed. Her hero had not come, and the man who looked at her now wished fervently that she hadn't remembered her man at all. It was the hope that was crushing her now. He didn't doubt her man _would_ come, but when would that be? Could she wait that long?

"Why don't you take a bath?" He suggested to her back. "They left new soaps, they smell of strawberries." It was the one thing she never seemed to tire of. Perhaps it was that in their travels she didn't have many opportunities that it hadn't gotten old to her yet.

The girl nodded and sat up, wiping her eyes. "Don't peek." She said looking over her shoulder at him, her hair tumbling down her back.

He stretched out and grinned at her, hiding his disquiet at her red-rimmed eyes. "Of course not."

"Oh, _you_." She said and pushed back her hair and stood.

"Me." He agreed watching her go. When she gave him a dirty look from the alcove he turned his back to look at the wall. It didn't matter at this point, he could picture every bit of her bathing ritual in his mind. She'd smooth the soft soap between her hands to make it lather an then begin to scrub-

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He sighed wishing for just a moment's privacy so he could at least let his thoughts run wild. He turned instead to what they'd discovered about themselves and their plight.

They'd puzzled over the new clues they had. They'd continued to play their "I think" game, but it only gave them bare clues to what their past lives had really been like. He knew she had a family, a mother, grandfather and younger brother. He had none, but he remembered a guardian. If they had professions, they couldn't remember them or hadn't hit on them. He traveled, he knew that, and knew that their association was a recent thing. He knew that she and he were different, so very different, in their upbringing. He knew _she_ was different then anyone he'd ever known, but she insisted that she was perfectly normal. She was learned, like no woman he could remember being learned.

And she was so frigging desirable he couldn't understand how her hero hadn't taken her yet.

He sighed, and turned his mind away from those thoughts with difficulty. He had to get out of here, before being in close quarters with her drove him insane. He thought of what they'd discovered about their cell. It was distressingly little. It was fifteen paces wide, twenty in the girl's smaller steps as she'd insisted on pacing it with him, and twice that in length. The light that infused the room came from no particular source they could find, lighting it equally. There were no gaps around the door or the planks that made it up for them to peek through. No sound carried through the door, at least none carried into the room so they could hear. Their captors did not react if they screamed and pounded on the door, so they were either isolated or surrounded by enemies.

He worried that she seemed to feel things stronger than he did. She seemed to be shaking off their captors' control. His sleep was dreamless, or at least he didn't remember them when he woke. Hers held snatches of her past, their past. She remembered little things relating to her daily life, like her exercises with her mother, and childhood songs. His past remained completely murky with only little bits filled in. Every significant thing they'd found came from her, her mind, her memories. When he woke he felt content, knowing that he would spend another day in leisure trying to unravel their mystery. Every day she grew more discontent, more scared, more hopeless. If they were pets, he was becoming domesticated and tame and and it was killing her wild spirit.

It had been nearly three weeks since she'd shown him her "Air-oh-biks" and laughed and laughed. She'd been so much more vivacious. Her eyes and smile had been bright. Now she didn't rise right away when the lights came on, didn't exercise, or even pace as much. She didn't rage at the door or their invisible captors. He glanced at the fruit plate, and she wasn't eating. She hadn't eaten a full apple or orange in days. She just picked and nibbled.

"I'm going to take a nap." She said to his back, smelling of strawberries and steam. "Maybe I'll be able to remember something else."

"Un." He said, trying to relax his shoulders. He hated when she slept during the "day", though he tried to hide it from her. It felt like she was going far away, somewhere he couldn't follow. It was the only time he felt lonely. "I'll meditate."

She sighed and he got the feeling she hadn't listened to his response at all. He heard her shuffle over to the futon and lay down. He glanced over at her, worried and mad at himself for worrying. She was already asleep, but even in sleep she wasn't at peace. Her brow was furrowed and she was frowning.

He stood up and walked over to her. She hadn't even bothered to cover herself with the blankets. She hadn't wrapped her hair, so she was soaking her head cushion. Their captors heated the cave somehow, but it was still a cave. It was too chilly for her to be so careless, she'd get ill. It looked like she hadn't even dried herself off before she'd redressed. Her cloth hugged her body and was semi-transparent and damp. After drinking in the sight of her sleek curves and skin through the cloth he let his conscience take over. He tugged the blankets over her and felt a ghost of a smile chase over his lips as her brow cleared. He'd insist that she use his cushion tonight, he didn't want her to be sleeping on the damp fabric when the lights went out and it got colder. If he thought he could convince her to sleep without the cloth he'd try that as well.

He went to the other side of the chamber and sat down cross-legged. He cleared his mind to meditate, or at least, tried to. But when he closed his eyes the girl invaded his senses. He swore he could smell her apple scent on his clothes. He could see, perfectly in his minds eye, her bouncing as she touched her toes and knees as she sang. His mind adjusted the image so that she was wearing the damp robe he'd just seen her in, her nipples poking through and tight, and for a little variety, the view he'd gotten when she'd bent over. Then he pictured her doing her "Jumping Jaks" encumbered with nothing on at all.

He groaned, feeling himself harden and rise. He opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder at the girl sound asleep on the pallet. This was about as private as he was going to get. He shifted and pushed his robe aside. He stroked himself and thought instead of her bathing ritual.

He pictured her rubbing the soap up and down her smooth creamy arms, now devoid of any suntan. He imagined her rubbing at her smooth stomach and tiny waist before moving up to lather her breasts. But in his fantasy instead of perfunctorily smoothing the soap over them she teased at nipples with her fingers and hefted their weight in self pleasure. He moaned again and stroked himself harder. "Yes," he hissed. He imagined her reaching down, to touch herself as he was touching himself. He could feel himself already getting close. It had been too long. He imagined her skin turning rosy like when she was mad, a full body flush. He groaned, tugging harder. He imagined her looking up and seeing him watching her, and, instead of screaming, touching herself harder and faster, dipping her fingers inside herself. He spurted and sighed, "Oh, My Lady."

He heard a gasp behind him and his breath caught. He covered himself up and looked in horror over his shoulder. The girl stood wrapped tight in the blanket he'd covered her with and looking at him red cheeked and wide eyed.

"Y-you, you were moaning." She stammered. "I.. I thought that something was wrong. I didn't mean-" He stood and she stepped back, fear naked in her eyes. "Were... were you... oh Kami!" He stepped forward, trying to think up some excuse. She scrambled backwards, tripping over her feet and almost falling in her haste to get away. "You, you said "My Lady," were you...you were thinking-"

"Who else would I think of?" He said harshly, embarrassment making him flush. "You are the only woman I remember, and you are attractive. I am sorry to trouble you, but I am a man, and I have needs. I saw a chance for a private moment and took advantage of it." He hid his soiled hand behind his back. He couldn't look her in the face. "I will bathe now."

He gave her wide berth and stepped into the semi-privacy of the bathing alcove. He cleaned himself up, cursing himself and his lack of control. But as he washed and tried kill the embarrassment he felt he reminded himself he hadn't done anything wrong. His fantasies were his own business and it wasn't as if he'd pressed them on her. He pictured her shocked face. He grinned to himself, it was the first time since the dream when she remembered her hero that she'd really looked and saw _him_. A bit more than he'd wanted her to see, but it wasn't anything that everyone didn't do now and then.

He dried himself off and re-dressed, carefully tying his robe. He took a deep breath and entered the main chamber. At first he didn't see her and he thought that perhaps their captors had removed her while he was in the bath. "My Lady?" He said stepping further out, his stomach dropping.

Her heard a rustle, and saw her huddled in the corner behind him. "My Lady," He said and took a step towards her.

She gasped and pressed her back against the wall. He froze and sighed. Who knew how long they would be here together, he couldn't have her afraid of him. "My Lady, I am not going to pounce on you. Please don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid!" She said, her chin coming up defiantly. "I just don't want to get contaminated by your perversion."

He let his eyes range over her body. He was not an innocent, and she would never believe him if tried to pretend he was one. "I have never pretended to be anything other than I am. And I know my hands wander," Her eyes snapped in anger at his obvious enjoyment of what he saw and his lack of shame. "But," he wagged a finger, "have I ever tried to get you to do something you didn't want to?"

She looked down, abashed. "No." She blushed. "But-"

"My Lady," He walked over to her, and she gulped as he crowded close trapping her back into a corner. "You could not stop me if I did wish to force you." She looked up at his dark features, his violet eyes had darkened and his ever present grin was gone. Her breath caught as he placed his hands on either side of her head and leaned close. "I have never pretended that I do not appreciate your many charms."

"Y-you, you wouldn't." She whispered looking up at him and looking small and afraid. "I _know_ it. You're my friend, you wouldn't do that."

He smiled, playful, stepping back and releasing her. "You see? Then why are you mad? Because I pleasured myself when I thought I was as alone as I can get? It has been nearly two months here in isolation, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I am a man, not a monk."

There was a pause, as their eyes met as they realized what he said, both equally shocked.

"Yes, you are." She whispered. Her face changed and she smiled, "You are! You're a monk!" She grabbed his hands and jumped in place happy to have another piece solved.

"I'm a monk." He said, shell-shocked. He squeezed her hands and smiled as memories flooded back. "My master was a monk as well, I learned with him. My father too." There was something bad there and he shied away from it. It was the first significant piece of his past that he remembered. "That's why I traveled, I was a traveling monk. I carried a staff, and fought with sutras. I was a monk!"

She laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're a monk."

"I'm a monk." He pulled her in and hugged her tight. She hugged him back, happy for him, pressing close. He wrapped his arms around her knowing he'd never felt her weight in his arms this way, but liking it. His hand wandered down and grabbed that fine rear.

She gasped and pushed him away. "Pervert!" She yelled and slapped him across the face.

He blinked. "I... I'm sorry! It was like it moved on it's own!" It wasn't something that he hadn't wanted to do a million times, but he hadn't intended to do it then.

"You've said that before." She said, her eyes widening with memory. "And you've done that before." Her eyebrows came together in a vee. "You're a perverted monk."

He brought his hand up in a newly remembered holy pose. "I am as Buddha made me."

She rolled her eyes and stomped away. He was relieved to see that the fear she'd shown before was gone.

::0::0::

She stepped out of the bathing alcove and looked at him in consternation. "What are you doing?"

"Distracting myself, My Lady." He'd stripped to the waist, retying his fabric around his middle, and was doing her aerobics routine.

She toweled at her hair. "From what?"

"You, in that bath, lathering yourself up."

She gasped. "Pervert!"

"Yes, I am." He stopped, his chest heaving from his activity. He looked at her wryly. "And I am a man, and you are a woman. We are in a little room with little to occupy my hentai thoughts other that we could be using that futon to entertain ourselves in ways that men and women can. You did not react well when I took matters in my own hands last time, so I am distracting myself."

She stood stock still. "But... but you're a monk."

"A perverted monk."

::0::0::

"Let's do Air-oh-biks." He suggested, kneeling by the futon. "It does make you feel better to move about a bit. Then you can take a bath."

"A little later." She said, curling up like a cat under the blankets. "I'm still tired."

"You've spent most of the past three days in bed, you can't possibly still be tired." She'd had another dream, a week ago, but she wouldn't tell him what it was about. What ever it was had sapped her of her sparkle and verve, and she was spiraling into depression even quicker than before.

"I'm bored." He declared loudly. "I might have to _entertain_ myself if you don't get up." It was a threat that had worked before. Her delicate sensibilities couldn't seem to stomach the thought of masturbation, especially with her starring in the fantasy.

"Go into the bath and do it." She sighed, refusing to rise to the bait. "I just don't want to hear it." She hid her head underneath the blanket. "Some monk you are."

He frowned at her, that was not the reaction he was hoping for. "I don't see as you get a say in the matter." He wanted her _up_, and moving, and smiling and laughing. If they were going to survive this they couldn't give up. She didn't react.

"That's it. I'm going to entertain myself!" He wasn't actually in the mood, so he thought perhaps doing something more outrageous might shock her. "I'm getting naked."

He unwrapped himself from his robe and tossed it on top of her. "I'm naked!"

He heard her breath catch. "I'm going to do impressions now." He declared to the room, wondering idly if they were being watched even now. He grabbed himself and hissed through his teeth. "Hsss... Hsss... Can you guess what I am? Hsss... Hsss..." She twitched on the bed and he could tell she wanted to turn over to look.

"I'm a one-eyed trouser snake!" He said proudly. "Hsss!"

He heard a suppressed giggle from the bed and grinned. "And now for my next impression! From the far flung lands of Buddha, an Olephant!" He put his lips together and attempted a trumpeting noise. It came out sounding more like a sick goose. He thrust his hips.

She burst out laughing, and sat up, keeping her eyes covered. "You mean an elephant!" She flung his robe at him. "Get dressed already. If your "elephant" looks as bad as he sounds, he must be one sad elephant."

"I wouldn't know." He said thrusting his hips at her again. "I've never seen one, if you have you're welcome to give me a comparison." He was so happy to hear her laugh again. He'd gladly play the fool if it kept her happy.

She peeked at him and turned red. "Get dressed! _Clothes_ monk!"

"You haven't said what you think of my impression." He said, trying to sound spoiled and pouting.

She huffed. "Well, it's a rather _small_ elephant, isn't it?"

"Ouch."


	3. More than Nothing

::0::0::

"My Lady," he said coaxingly. "This won't work. You must drink. You must eat."

She turned away from him, rolling over on the futon. It had been two months, almost three, though he'd lost count at this point. Their jailers had varied their diet, giving them rice, lentils and a little fish now and then. He thought perhaps because she'd so obviously lost weight. She'd eaten less and less, complaining that the fruit disagreed with her.

But then she'd started talking about going on a "hunger strike" as a way to gain their freedom. Her theory was that if they didn't eat their captors would have to let them out. They obviously didn't want them dead, or they could have just stopped bringing food or killed them while they slept.

While he agreed that was true, he thought this was too risky. Their captors would react, but how? If they were pets, perhaps he'd wake up and she'd be gone replaced with a new woman, a healthy one. If they both starved themselves, perhaps they would be confronted and they'd finally get to see their jailers. But more likely they'd be separated, forced to eat, or perhaps even have their memories wiped again.

"Take a little water at least." He begged. "My Lady, they will separate us."

She turned back to him his eyes flashing. "Not if you stop eating too!" She sat up and put her hand to her head as the room spun. "Don't you want to get out of here?"

"I though you said your man would come for you." He said, hating to bring up the past he could hardly remember. "Don't you have faith in him? You must be healthy when he breaks through."

"I believe in him!" She said, the doubt and tears in her eyes making her a liar. "But maybe he can't get this far. Maybe we have to meet him halfway."

"This is not the way." He said firmly.

"That's your opinion." She said and laid back down. "I'm not going to be a pet."

"Drink at least." The monk pleaded again. "We don't know how closely they monitor us. You can go for days without food, but water...please."

"No." She said and closed her eyes.

He growled in frustration. He hadn't wanted to do this, but he saw no option. She would not survive without water, it had already been a day without. Her lips were dry and cracked and her skin was pale. Their captors would react, and the thought that he might wake up alone tomorrow never to know what happened to her was too much to bear. He knew that if he was left alone he'd be lost.

He moved quickly, straddling her and taking a quick swig of water in his mouth. She struggled underneath him and he was distressed with how weak she'd become. He could barely feel the her legs move, and her fists had no impact. He used his weight to immobilize her chest and clapped a hand over her nose so she couldn't breathe.

"What are you-" She started to yell, batting at him with her hands. "Omph!"

He covered her mouth with his and used his tongue to keep it open. He filled her mouth with the water from his, forcing her to drink or choke.

He sat up, ignoring her gasps and how her fingernails sunk into the forearm of the hand over her nose and grabbed the pitcher taking another swig. He bent down and forced her chin down, opening her mouth and transferring another mouth of water.

She gasped and choked as he sat up. "Stop! Don't!" She cried. "I can't breathe!" She turned her head away and started crying.

The monk paused, water at the ready for him to start again. "Catch your breath then, or agree to drink on your own." He said harshly, taking his hand off her nose.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" She sobbed.

"Don't cry." He said helplessly. He couldn't stand it when she cried. He shifted his weight to his knees so she could move. She turned to her side and cried into the futon. He pulled her up into his arms, feeling the water he'd forced into her leak out of her eyes on tho his shoulder. She weighed no more than a bird and he could feel her heart race. He slung her across his lap like a child and held her tighter. He rocked her back and forth. "You can't give up, My Lady."

"I can't do this anymore." She whispered. "I can't."

"Don't leave me alone." He said his own throat getting thick. "If you can't do it for yourself, then think of me. If they take you, I'll be here alone."

"I'm sorry." She gasped. "I'm sorry."

"Will you drink?" He asked, wondering what she was apologizing for, that she couldn't fight anymore or that she was going to leave him. He felt her nod into his shoulder and he reached for the water. He watched her throat work as she drank it down, relief flooding him. He took the cup from her as she finished.

"Thank you, My Lady, thank you." He tilted her chin up to look into her eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. "Thank you." He said his voice deepening and getting husky. Her eyes widened and she started to ask a question, but he didn't hear what it was his blood rushing in his ears. Then he was kissing her and anything she was saying was cut off.

I know how to kiss, he thought vaguely, very well. She did not, and he had to lead her on how it was done. He wondered at the sanity of her hero. She obviously loved the half-demon. She couldn't even remember his name, but the monk could see it in her eyes when she spoke of him. How had the fool not kissed her? Then he realized that he was kissing another man's woman, a woman who had given her heart to that man and drew back.

It wouldn't bother him, he realized, in most cases. If a woman was attached or not shouldn't make a difference if she was willing. But he didn't think she was.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear, holding her tight so that he wouldn't have to meet her eyes. "I won't do it again. Just don't scare me like that." He smoothed back her hair and rubbed her back, willing her to relax.

Her hands clutched at his robes. "O-okay." She said shakily as she drew back, resting into the crook of his arm. "S-some monk you are."

She's so small, he thought. She fits right under my chin. He drew back and pulled the plate over. "Please, eat something."

She looked down at the fruit and blanched paper white. "I don't think I can." She said, resting her hand on her stomach. She looked up at him pleadingly. "I really can't."

"What about some rice?" He said tugging it over. "Just a little plain rice? Just a mouthful?"

She sighed. "Will you let me go back to sleep if I do?" She asked, looking up at him.

He swallowed. He didn't want her to sleep more, but if she would eat... He nodded. He took his fingers, ladled up a little rice and brought it to her mouth.

"I can feed myself." She said wryly.

"I'll believe it when I see it." He said firmly.

She gave him a dirty look and took the rice off his fingers. She hesitated, looking a little green, but put it in her mouth and slowly chewed. She swallowed and when she looked up and saw how carefully he was watching her opened her mouth so he could see she'd really eaten it. "See?"

"A little more." He insisted, popping more rice in her mouth.

"Umph!" She gave him a nasty look and for a moment he thought she was going to spit it out on him. Something on his face must have told her it would not end well for her if she did, and she quickly chewed and swallowed it.

She pushed him back when he started to reach for the rice again. "No more."

He started to protest, but her glare stopped him. He sighed. Her face crumpled at his obvious worry, fight going out of her. "I just want to sleep." She pleaded.

He swallowed, throat uncomfortably thick with worries and fear, and gently moved the food and water off the futon. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he wouldn't let her. He laid her down and tugged the blanket up around her, curling close. "I'll sleep too." He said softly. He was afraid to let her go, irrationally afraid she'd disappear the moment he did. She closed her eyes, willing to endure his touch if it meant she could escape from their cell for a few hours at least.

He watched her drift off and wished that he could truly follow her in that escape. Her cheeks had lost their rosy glow, and she had hollows under her eyes. Her hair was lank, it's luster gone. She hadn't even gotten up for a bath in two days. This place was killing her. Even if she started eating tomorrow he knew this place would wear her down to nothing.

He drew back and sat up, tucking her tightly in the blankets as if it could ground her back in this life. He stepped away and ate, mechanically working through an apple and forcing some of the rice down. The room was quiet, he could hear her long steady breaths as she slept. The water in the bath, bubbled lightly, constantly. How much quieter would it be if she was gone?

::0::0::

"Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes." The monk's voice was surprisingly on key, deep and pleasant. "Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes... and eyes and ears and mouth and nose. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes."

The girl woke up, blinking as her eyes focused on the man sitting against the wall near the door. She didn't much feel like moving yet so she watched him as he tapped a foot and sang the nonsensical lyrics. His skin used to be darker and his smile that had seemed to be twitching just below the surface was gone. His face now was blank with distraction and as he sang his brow was furrowed with worry and his hands twitched with nervous energy.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "I thought you were going to sleep."

"I wasn't as tired as I thought." He said, putting on a smiling mask. "What about you, My Lady? Will you get up now? Perhaps you can show me some other Air-oh-biks."

"No," She sighed. Just sitting up was an effort. She leaned against the wall. "Why were you singing? I didn't know you liked to sing."

"I don't particularly. At least," He qualified, "not as far as I know. But it was quiet in here while you slept, a bit too quiet...so..." He shrugged. "It's the only song I know." He said. "Do you know any others? Why don't you teach me?"

"When you ask like that I don't." The girl said irritably. Flatly asking a question like "what is your name?" or "why were we traveling?" would not dredge up any memories. But when they talked about things like her childhood when talking about having breakfast with her family asking her favorite breakfast food would bring an immediate answer. It was a tricky thing this memory loss.

"Ah, yes." The monk said tugging at his lip. "You spoke of schooling when you first mentioned this song. "Preschool," what is "preschool?"

"Legally, you have to start school at five. But some parents send their children to preschool, where they learn to play together and learn their colors, numbers, beginning letters and stuff." She smiled. "They're really cute when you see them walking through town together. They hold hands in a chain."

He smiled, and kept to himself that in all his travels he knew he had never seen anything like that. Nor did he know of any land that required schooling. "And they learn to sing and do Air-oh-biks?"

"They don't call it aerobics," she smiled. "They call it playing, and there are lots of games. And yes, there were lots of songs."

"Like what?" He asked.

"Like.."This is the song that never ends," Souta and I used to drive Mama nuts with that one." Her eyes widened. "My little brother's name is Souta!"

"Souta." He repeated. "Dashing?" He asked, guessing at the name meaning.

"He isn't, he's a pest." She said, but with fondness. "And a coward, though he can be brave when he has to." He could see the euphoria of remembering his name wearing off and with it the realization that she might never see him again.

"Tell me about this song that never ends." He said quickly. "How is that possible?"

She smiled faintly. "It's silly, you don't really want to hear it."

"It can't be worse then "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" which has been completely entrenched in my mind." He said. "Will you truly leave me with only that as an example of the finer arts?"

"Okay, fine." She sighed. She cleared her throat. "No fair making fun of my voice." She closed her eyes, a little uncomfortable with how close he was watching her, like she was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. "This is the song that never ends," she sang, "Yes, it just goes on and on my friends, some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll continue singing it forever just because..." She took a deep breath, "This is the song that never ends, Yes, it just goes on and on my friends, some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they'll continue singing it forever-"

"That is _insidious_." The monk breathed. "You used to torture your mother with that? I thought you loved her."

"You always hurt the one you love." The girl said and he could tell from the way she said it that she was quoting. She closed her eyes and looked like she might doze off.

"What is that from, My Lady?" He asked quickly.

She frowned, "I don't know... well it's from another song, but I think it's from something else too."

"What's the song?" He asked, this was the longest he'd been able to keep her engaged for days. "Sing it for me."

"I'm tired." She said, closing her eyes. She was always tired it seemed.

"Please, otherwise you'll leave me with nothing but "This is the song that never ends." He paused for effect. "Which I will sing."

Her eyes flew open. "You wouldn't."

"This is the song that never ends-" He started, booming loudly in the small room.

"Okay! Stop!" She said, clapping her hands over her ears. She shot him a dirty look. " What was I thinking teaching that to you? I should have known you'd use it for evil."

He grinned at her, for a moment shedding his worries and looking boyish and happy. She sighed and smiled.

"Mama used to listen to this one... but I don't know all the lyrics, so I might get it wrong." She took a deep breath, then stopped again. "This is a serious song, so no making fun of my singing... you asked for it." He nodded and she squared her shoulders, and sang unsteadily and off key, "You always hurt the ones you love, the one you shouldn't hurt at all. You always take the sweetest rose, and crush it till the petals fall. You always break the kindest heart, with a hasty word you can't recall. So if I broke your heart last night... something something something something."

"Something something something...?" He chuckled.

"I can't remember the rest of it." She smiled faintly. "But, not because of... you know, here.." She waved a hand. "I can never remember the rest of it."

"Your Aye-podz, it can play this song?" He asked.

"Ipod. It's only "Ipods" if there is more than one."

He shrugged. "But it can play this song?"

"Yes, I'd have to download it at Yuka's, we don't have a computer." She said. "But I could get it."

"Then when we get out of here you will have to let me listen to your Aye-pod so I can find out how the song ends." He smiled.

"Yeah." She said, looking away from him her shoulders slumping. "When we get out of here." She closed her eyes. "I'm going to go back to sleep."

"My Lady-"

"I'm tired," she said insistently.

::0::0::

"This is the song that never ends, yes, it goes on and on my friends, some people started singing it not knowing what it was and they'll go on forever-"

"Stop it! Please, stop it!" The girl begged, flipping on to her stomach. He'd been singing that song for at least an hour now. She put her head under the blanket and pressed her hands to her ears.

"Are you going to eat some rice?" He asked, looking down at the lump behind him on the futon.

"I'm not-"

"JUST because this is the song that never ends! Yes! It goes on and on my friends, some people started singing it not knowing what it was and they'll go on forever singing just because," He took a sip of water and a deep breath. "This is the song that never ends-"

"Fine! I'll eat some!" The girl said. "Just stop it!" She sat up on her knees and wrapped the blanket around herself. She was always chilled these days. "I'll eat what I can manage."

"That's all I ask." he said, sliding the bamboo container over to her. "Just more than a few mouthfuls, please."

"It makes me feel sick." She said, looking at the rice mournfully.

"That is because you are starving yourself." He said firmly, trying to make it true. Since her brief hunger strike a week ago, she'd agreed to start eating. But it was if her body was rejecting this place, making it hard for her to force food down. "You must eat."

She sighed and with a shaking hand took out a few finger fulls of rice. "I never should have taught you that song."

He grinned at her, happy to see her eating. "I find it most diverting."

"I've unleashed a great evil into this world." She said wryly, popping more rice into her mouth. She froze and looked up at him, her eyes swimming with tears and her mouth slack.

"My Lady?" He looked at the rice, trying to figure out what caused that reaction. He'd tried the rice this morning. It was fine.

"I did." She said from around a mouthful of half-chewed rice. "I-" She started choke.

He scooted over quickly, pounding her back and pouring her a cup of water. "Chew, swallow, then talk!"

She coughed and swallowed the mouthful. She started to speak but the monk pressed the water on her and made her drink before he'd listen.

"I did. I did unleash evil!" She cried.

"I hardly think teaching me an annoying children's song is-"

"No, not that!"

"What could you have possibly done to "unleash" evil?" He said, trying hard to take her revelation as seriously as she obviously did. But the idea was laughable, every fiber of his being refused the notion that she could intentionally do any harm.

"I...I can't remember." She said pressing her fingers to her forehead. "I... I think it was an accident, but it's why we're traveling together. We were trying to fix it. I did something awful, and it hurt a lot of people." She looked up at him, her face crumpled up. "Maybe that's why I'm here. I'm being punished."

"No, that's not possible." When she started to turn away from him he grabbed her shoulder, his beads pressing in to her flesh. He gave her a little shake. "I _know_ it."

"But I _know_-"

"My Lady, even if you did make some mistake that caused harm, if there was no ill will in your intention then there can be no blame. I know, _I know,_ that during our travels I never blamed you for... whatever it was that you supposedly caused." She started to protest again but he laid a finger across her mouth. "Besides, if you are here to be punished for that... why would I be here too? I am an innocent."

Even in her upset she gave him a doubtful look at that comment.

He chuckled. "Rather, I know that I have done no evil that would warrant this punishment." He leaned his forehead to touch hers. "And I _know_ you have not either."

"Maybe I just hadn't told you about it." She whispered. "Maybe I was keeping it a secret."

He considered it and then asked, simply, "Were you?"

She blinked and her eyes fluttered with unshed tears. "No."

"See then? That's settled." He pulled her close, letting her lean against him. "Now, I believe you were going to eat more than a few mouthfuls of rice."

"But-"

"No buts." He said firmly.

::0::0::

"Monk?" He looked down at her as she rested against his thigh, drowsing.

He realized he'd been petting at her hair and his hand froze. "I'm sorry, My Lady. Did I disturb you?"

"Mmmm." She said giving a slight shake of her head, rubbing her cheek against him. "Feels good." She said sleepily.

The monk swallowed, fingers twitching. Despite her weakness, his carnal desire for her hadn't lessened. She remained oblivious despite knowing that when he broke down to temptation to "entertain" himself, it was _her_ he thought of.

This sense of honor is very inconvenient, he thought, tangling his fingers in her hair.

He'd been successful in getting her to eat better, and some of her energy had returned. When she was fully awake, her vigor was nearly at the level of when they first woke up here. And when she was smiling at him, he didn't feel so disgusted for wanting her. But she needed to sleep a distressing amount of time, leaving him effectively alone. He was convinced that something in this place was weakening her, something more than their confinement and meager diet.

In the mornings, or directly after a nap, she often didn't have enough energy to even lift herself. If he let her, she'd sleep all day. But, fearing that she'd decline even quicker if he allowed that, he'd taken to literally dragging her from bed when he woke. "Morning" had become an arduous chore that consisted of laps around the room, hunched over as he supported her tiny frame. At first her feet would be clumsy and she would cling to his neck, supported only by the arm he held around her waist. She'd slowly gain strength and he wouldn't let her stop until she was walking on her own. Even then she was clumsy, enough so he thought it was justified keeping a protective hand on her waist in case she stumbled.

His lips twitched, she often needed "encouragement" to keep walking and that was worth all the work he put in. He found that a well timed grope was an excellent goad to her feet. A traitors part of him enjoyed those first few laps when she'd be pressed against him, head tucked under his chin, and wholly dependent on his arm. He was even happier when she got her feet under her and walked with her own strength, but took his hand just for the comfort of it.

She still rebuffed his advances, moving hands off when they wandered over a thigh or rear, but had gotten used to casual intimacy required to help her. She let him hold her as they walked to and from the bath. When they sat and ate would she would often let him tug her across his lap, especially in the "mornings" and "evenings" when she had trouble sitting upright on her own. At night, after the lights went off, she didn't protest when he pulled her close and held her as they slept.

She chilled easily and thought he did it to help warm her. In truth, he feared their captors. The more she weakened the more he feared them removing her as the slept. Every morning when he woke and felt her breath puffing against his collarbone he gave silent thanks.

These were all things her hero would surely protest, but as he was rather delinquent in rescuing his princess the monk refused to heed any guilty conscience that said he should maintain a distance between them. In fact, he rather wished they hadn't remembered him at all so he could feel free to pursue her on a more intimate level. Cuddling was all fine and good, but he wanted more contact then that, skin to skin contact.

"Do you think," she murmured, and he started thinking she'd dozed back to sleep. "That maybe he's dead?" She asked, eerily echoing his own thoughts.

"No, My Lady." He said, wondering at his own certainty after all this time. "I do not think even death would stop him from coming to your side." He wished he could lie and say that he did think her hero was dead. Then he could comfort her. Two or three times... a day. He wouldn't protest her staying in bed in that case.

"What about...the person you love?" She asked. "I think... I think it's the girl with the kimono. I had a dream, you groped her and she slapped you."

"Sounds like true love." He said wryly, but as she spoke he had a faint memory of a strong arm that delivered punishing slaps. He wondered about the girl in the kimono, he felt that faint longing and wondered if his lady had guessed right. He wondered if this longing was the same as love. It didn't feel like truth to him, but so much of his past was lost to him he didn't know if he could trust his feelings.

"Oh, you never tell me anything." She said looking up at him with a pout, slapping at his thigh with the flat of her hand. "But if she is... I bet she's fighting to get you back too. She's strong."

"Yes, she is." He said, his hands starting to stroke through her hair again. You are stronger, he thought.

"My head hurts." She said softly, like she was confessing a secret. "I have a headache."

He frowned. "Do you want some water? Or maybe taking a bath would make you feel better."

"I think that I need to lay down." She said, closing her eyes.

"You are laying down." He reminded her, more worried.

"I mean, in bed, on the futon." She looked up at him, exhaustion and shame clear in her eyes. "I need to sleep."

"I'll help you." He said, sighing and shifted to get his hands under her armpits.

"I'm sorry." She said as he helped her get to her feet and shuffle across the room to the futon.

"There is nothing to be sorry for." He said looking at her in surprise. "You are trying your best, and no more can be asked of anyone. You remained awake today far longer then you did yesterday."

"I'm sure you hate being stuck here with me." She sighed. "I'm so useless."

"I can think of no other I'd rather be "stuck" here with, My Lady."

"That's just because you can't remember anyone else." She frowned, as he helped her down into the blankets.

He looked at her seriously, kneeling beside her as she settled. She blinked and her expression grew uncertain as she laid back and rested her head on the futon. "Monk?"

He brushed a knuckle against the swell of her cheek asking himself seriously, is there anyone who he would rather be with?

_No, _he thought, _I know it._

He spread his hand and traced his fingers down her throat, the beads of his rosary cool against her skin. He ran a finger down a collarbone that was too pronounced for his liking. "My Lady," He said, his voice deep. "I _know_ there is no one I'd rather be trapped in a fifteen by thirty foot cell with." He leaned forward and pressed an open mouthed kiss to the hollow of her throat.

She pushed him off, gasping. "You're just saying that. You're just saying that because you can't remember the person you love." She curled to her side, "You're just saying that because I'm the only woman you remember and I'm _attractive._" She threw his words back to him. "You'd do these things with any girl you were trapped with."

"These things?" He repeated. "Yes, I suppose I would." She turned to look at him, obviously having expected him to lie or turn on the charm. He grinned at her. "But I would not have enjoyed it as much."

She burst out laughing. "Oh." She said covering her eyes, "that makes my head hurt worse, ow."

::0::0::

He started awake, shaking. It was still dark and for the first time he found the all encompassing blackness terrifying. He gasped, sucking in air.

"Monk?" The girl's voice was slurred with sleep, but her touch was soothing. "What's wrong?"

He wove himself tighter around her, his voice was raspy. "Nothing, nothing, My Lady."

"Liar." She said and he felt her hands come up his back, rubbing in soothing circles. She snuggled into his embrace fitting herself under his chin. Her words puffed against his skin. "You're shaking."

"It was a dream." He said. "Merely a dream."

"What did you dream?" She asked, her voice sharpening. "Are you sure it was just a dream?"

"Yes," he said. _It had to be._ "A nightmare." He tucked his nose into her hair and kissed her ear.

"What was it?" She asked, too distracted by his dream to even mind the hands that were starting to wander down her sides.

"Nothing." He said, and shifted so that she was more below him than at his side. His knee came up between her legs and he concentrated kissing down her throat and the feel of her under his hands. He started to scrunch fabric of her sarong up under his hands, cursing it's length.

"Stop it." She said, her hands grasping at his shoulders. "Tell me what you dreamed." She squirmed, but all it did was press her chest against his and untied the knot holding her cloth closed.

Moaning as he felt it suddenly slide and part he used his hands to tug it away from her body. He ran his hands up her sides, chasing over her stomach to palm her breasts. He moved down so that his hips pressed against hers, and relished the feel of her skin against his hands. Her nipples pebbled and grew hard.

"Monk!" She cried out, grabbing his hair and literally pulling him away from kissing wetly down her chest. "Tell me!"

"It was _nothing_." He said harshly. "A great vortex of _nothing_ consuming everything in it's path." He tugged at her legs and wrapped them around him, pressing down so that she could feel his hardness at the crux of her legs. "And I know it is a dream because _this_ is not _nothing_." He slid his hands up to cup at her ass, groping her as his head moved down to kiss again at her chest. He explored her with his mouth, finding his way to a breast. "This is real. I am not _nothing."_ He sucked and nibbled at her, making her wriggle beneath him. "I can feel, and touch, and lick and suck and _fuck_ and that is _something._"

"M-monk," she breathed, pushing helplessly at his chest. "S-stop."

"Please," He said, grinding himself against her. She was hot against him, he could feel her through the thin barrier of his robe. He kissed her, deeply, tasting her mouth and exploring it and trying to get her to respond. He broke the kiss and pleaded in her ear, "Please, please, please."

"I-I-" She stuttered. After months of casual gropes and him backing down at the slightest look from her, she wasn't prepared for this sudden barrage.

"Doesn't it feel good?" He whispered sensuously in her ear. "I can feel you," he said thrusting with his hips, "you're hot down there, My Lady. Are you slick? Don't you want to feel me there?" His hands moved to massage her legs and his fingernails lightly scraped at her thigh. "I want to touch you."

"B..but, " She whispered. "You don't love me."

"I think," he groaned, "that we are lovers."

"That's not true," she said squirming underneath him and he couldn't tell if she was squirming away or towards him. "I know it."

"I think that we should be." He said and slid a hand between them and cupped her and he could _feel_ that she was hot and slick and wanting more than she would admit.

She gasped and arched, never having felt that. "Oh!"

"Please, My Lady," He said letting a finger slid between her lips. "Let me feel and touch, and lick and suck and _fuck_ you." He found her nub hiding among the slickness and moved against it. She arched into his hands and he could feel her nails digging into his back. Her chest was rubbing against his and he could feel her nipples hard and eager. Surely she wanted him as much as he wanted her. "Please." He groaned.

"B-but," She said, her body moving against his hand even while she protested. "I don't even know your name. Ah!" She gasped as he slid a finger inside her. "Monk!"

"That works." He said. "What do names matter when there is heat and want and _this?"_ He thrust his finger in and out. "You want it, I can feel you want it."

"But, oh!, what about-oh!" And he felt sick because he knew she was thinking about her hero, almost five months absent now. And he knew she wanted him to reassure her that he was coming still, and if he was she should never do this. Not with _him_ not with the man who supported her every day as they walked around the room, fed her and held her every night. She should save herself as a prize for her hero. But here she was moving against his hand and her legs were wrapping him tighter and she didn't ask that question.

He brought his mouth to hers and this time she kissed him back tentatively, tasting him and exploring him. And he knew that he should ask her again, if this was what she wanted, if she really wanted to let him. But knowing if he did she'd say no, he didn't ask.

Instead he devoured her mouth and knew that this was _her_ giving up hope. And just before they could go no further he drew back and brought his hand up to stroke her cheek. He felt the tears there and knew that if they did this he'd be worse than nothing and he'd take her with him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm sorry."

She dropped her head to his chest and sobbed.

"This was just a dream." He whispered, holding her to him and still wishing he could throw away his conscience and just _fuck_ her. "Tomorrow, when you wake up, you'll realize that this never happened."

"Nothing happened." She whispered.

Later, after she'd fallen asleep against his chest in the dark and he knew it had to be close to when their captors would be coming with new food and clothes, he started pleading.

"Please." He said, "You're killing her. You have to let her go. If we are being punished for something, surely you can see that she doesn't deserve this. If we are pets, let he go and I will be the most entertaining pet you've ever had. I will do tricks, and sing and dance for you." He took a deep shaky breath, wondering how he'd feel if his prayers were answered and he woke up alone. "Something has to change, she sleeps more and more every day. She's giving up hope, she's dying." He kept pleading, making nonsensical promises and dire threats until whatever magic they used knocked him out.

::0::0::

"Monk! Monk!" Her hands were prying his arms from around her and shaking him awake. For once she'd woken up before him, he thought, annoyed at being woken that way and forgetting his prayers from the night before.

"_Monk!_" She said earnestly and pushed at his chest.

"My Lady," he growled, "What could possibly be so urgent?"

"Look!" She said, sitting up and forgetting that she'd never recovered her sarong the night before. "It's... It's-- Look!" Her eyes were wide and she was pointing to the middle of the room.

He sat up and looked over, wondering what could be so amazing about fruit, rice and fresh clothes. He gasped and sat up. There, sleeping on top of their fresh clothes, was a little boy. He had red hair, tied up in a topknot and a fluffy tail wrapped around himself.

"It's-" He started and then cursed, the name was on the tip of his tongue, just beyond reach.

"But what is he doing here?" The girl gasped.

"How am I to know?" The monk asked. "We should be asking-"

"Ah!" The boy had woken up and was looking at them incredulously. "KAGOME!!" He cried and launched himself at her. He hit her in the chest and she fell over backwards. He sobbed into her neck, his little arms trying to reach around her. "Everyone told us you were dead, but we didn't believe them I knew it, I knew you were alive and they were liars, and that you wouldn't leave me and you'd come back and we'd save you and-"

"Kagome." The monk breathed. That was her name.

"Kagome!" The little boy repeated. He say up, dried his eyes and looked down at the woman he was perched on. His brow wrinkled and he frowned. "Why are you naked?"


	4. Doors

Kagome gasped and looked down. The little boy hopped off her chest and she struggled to get up, scrabbling for a blanket or her discarded sarong. "Oh," She gasped as a wave of dizziness hit her and she slumped to the side, nearly collapsing completely.

"Kagome?" The fox boy whined, putting his paws to her knees and shaking her a little. "You have to cover up."

"Don't." The monk said quickly. "You'll hurt yourself." If she tried to rise right away in the morning her limbs didn't respond properly and she fell. He impersonally twitched a blanket over her and then pulled her up into a sitting position next to the wall. "I'll get you fresh robe." He padded over and picked up a cloth. The little fox gaped at him as he lifted her up, sat her on the cloth and reached under the blankets to wrap it around her.

"I can tie it myself," She said, flushing and glancing at the boy.

"You didn't do too good a job yesterday, My Lady, or it would not have come undone as you slept." His hands chased up her sides, and he could feel her ribs. "Better let me."

"Fine." She whispered and looked to the side, cheeks burning.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" The little boy hopped up into her lap and rested his head against her chest. "Are you sick?"

"Don't worry." She said quickly, petting at his hair. "I just feel a little weak in the mornings. After I walk a bit I'm fine."

"Never mind that for now." The monk said, glancing around wishing there was some way to tell if or when their captors were listening. "Little one, you know us? You know who we are?"

"What? Of course I do!" He looked back and forth between them. "What do you mean "little one?" Don't you know me?" His eyes started to swim with tears. "Kagome, did you forget me?"

"No! I remembered you!" She looked up at the man pleadingly. "I did! I dreamed about you."

"When we woke up here," The monk said kneeling next to them, "My...Kagome and I had lost all of our memories, we didn't even know Kagome's name until a few minutes ago when you called to her. But, Kagome had dreams that helped us figure out a few things. One of the first things she dreamed about was you."

"Really?" The little boy said, looking up at her.

"Really." She smiled. "I remembered making you breakfast, and your drawings. But," She bit her lip, not wanting to upset him, "I still can't remember everything. I can't remember your name, or why we're traveling together."

The little fox sat back on her lap, looking serious. "You really, really can't remember?"

Kagome shook her head. "I can't even remember his name, " she said nodding at the monk. "And we've been here guessing this whole time."

"Miroku." the fox said looking up at him. "You're Miroku."

"Miroku." The monk said trying it out. He grinned. "Miroku. Kagome," He smiled at her gleefully, "my name is Miroku."

"Miroku the monk." She agreed smiling. She looked at the little boy. "But what is your name?"

"I'm Shippo." He said standing up and hugging her. "Do you remember me now?"

"I...I remember bits and pieces." She said, hugging him back. "I know we did this a lot, and that you used to sleep in my sleeping bag with me. I'm sorry. Why don't you tell me the rest?"

A determined look crossed his face and Shippo's tail twitched. He buried his face in her chest and his fingers clutched at her sarong.

"You're my Mama and you promised you'd never leave me, ever."

"Oh, Shippo." She sighed, eyes shimmering. "I know that's not true."

"We know a lie when we hear it." Miroku said. "But, let's leave the past aside for now. How did you get here? Why do you still have your memories?"

"We were trying to rescue you again!" Shippo said hopping off of Kagome's lap to look up at the monk. "We brought a bunch of villagers to help, but it took forever to get them all here. We were fighting and I used my fox-fire to help protect Kaede!" He looked up at Kagome, leaning against her leg. "I was really, really brave!"

"I believe you." Kagome said, rubbing his back with her hand. "You're very brave."

"Who were you fighting against?" Miroku asked.

"The bad people!" Shippo said. "The village in the valley stole a bunch of monks and priests and priestesses! They've been using them, somehow, to make a holy barrier over their village!" He turned to Kagome and said pleadingly. "Inuyasha and I couldn't get in, or Kirara either. Sango tried, but there were too many people for her to fight alone, she couldn't find you. We tried, we really tried!"

"We believe you." Miroku said, kneeling down to look at him. "But how did you get here?"

"I don't know!" Shippo cried. "I was protecting Kaede, and then there was smoke and I was sleepy and I couldn't stay awake, and then I was here!"

"Drugged." Miroku said. "But why didn't they take your memories like they did ours?" He asked rhetorically. "Why did they bring you to us?"

"I don't care." Shippo said jumping back up on Kagome.

"My Lady, we should get you walking a bit." Miroku said, a strange look coming over his face. "Shippo, you'll have to move so I can get her up."

"What? Why?" Kagome asked, but automatically put her arms around his neck when he reached for her. "Don't you think that we should try to find out more?"

"We can walk and talk." He said, holding her up as she tried to make her legs work. "But I think it's important to get you on your feet."

"Can I help?" Shippo said hopping along side them. "I want to help!"

"You'll be helping soon enough." Miroku assured him. Something in his voice made Kagome frown.

"Are you hungry?" Kagome said looking over her shoulder at the little demon. "There is fruit and rice over there. You can eat while we walk."

Shippo scampered over and took an apple, perching on the stack of blankets like a squirrel. "You're so skinny, Kagome. You should eat."

"Oh, don't you start too." She huffed. "I get enough of that from him." She tapped her hand against Miroku's chest.

"That is because you are too thin, and you do need to eat." Miroku said as they started their third lap. "One does not exist on air and water."

"Let me put more weight on my legs." She said, ignoring him and pushing at the hand on her waist. He withdrew his arm until it was just a steading presence and she got her feet under herself and put a hand over his on her hip as she walked. "I'm almost there." She said, smiling shakily. "We can stop soon."

"We want you to be very steady on your feet." Miroku disagreed. "Shippo, you mentioned others. Kaede, Inuyasha, and Sango. We have memories of a half-demon, a lovely young woman in a kimono, and a large cat. Which names go with who?"

"You don't remember them either?" Shippo said around a mouth full of apple. "Not any of them? Not even Inuyasha, Kagome?"

"I'm guessing that Kaede is the girl in the kimono?" Miroku said, knowing that Inuyasha must be her hero. "That's not right," He muttered.

"Um, I promise not to tell Sango that you forgot her when we get out of here, Miroku." Shippo said. "You just got back, I don't want you to die."

"Sango!" Kagome cried. "She's the one I used to take baths with and she fights with a giant boomerang and she rides the cat...the cat..."

"Kaede?" Miroku guessed again, walking beside her now hand at her hip.

Kagome shook her head. "No, that's not it."

"Kirara!" Shippo said. "Kaede is the priestess from the village near Inuyasha's forest." He huffed and took another huge mouthful of apple. "This is so weird." He watched Miroku do another lap of the room with Kagome, now just lightly holding her hands as she walked hesitantly under her own steam. "I can't believe you're letting him touch you!"

"I didn't have much of a choice." Kagome said looking over her shoulder at Shippo. Then feeling guilty and like he might be offended at her tone she looked up at Miroku. "But he's been a perfect gentleman."

Shippo gaped, a little piece of apple falling out. "Miroku? A gentleman?!"

"Well, mostly." She grinned.

"I should feel insulted." Miroku said with a long suffering sigh.

"Except you know it's the truth." Kagome said, looking up with a smile.

::0::0::

Shippo sighed, kicking his legs. "Aren't you guys done walking yet?"

"Yeah," Kagome said, looking at Miroku crossly. "I'm actually hungry. Can't we stop yet?" They'd paced the room for at least twice the length of time they usually did.

"Don't sit." Miroku said and steered her to the middle of the room. "Eat standing up." If she sat, or stayed still for too long the weakness would come over her again.

"What is _with_ you?" She huffed. "I'm not going to go back to sleep. I want to talk with Shippo."

"My Lady," he said glancing around again. "Please trust me on this."

She gave him a quizzical look but sighed and plucked an orange from the plate and stood as she peeled it.

"I have a million questions." She said slurping on a juicy chunk of orange. "I don't even know where to start."

"Begin at the beginning, go on to the middle, and when you get to the end, stop." Miroku suggested, scooping out some rice.

"Ha, ha." She said, rolling her eyes and eating another messy slice of orange.

Miroku, his mind full of plans, was for a moment completely distracted by her little pink tongue as it darted out to catch a stray drop of juice.

"Why did the "bad" people take us, and the other holy people?" Kagome asked. "Why did they take our memories away?"

"We didn't know they did." Shippo said. "We-"

"Let's not discuss that yet." Miroku said, ignoring the dirty look the little fox sent him for interrupting. Kagome started to protest, but he cut her off. "Right now that can only be speculation. Shippo, _where_ are we being held?"

"The twin mountains." Shippo said promptly. "In the left one. There is a village in the valley between the mountains, but we could only see tunnels on the left side mountain and that's where Kaede said all the holy power was coming from."

"Do you know how many people are watching us? Or guarding us?" Miroku asked and Kagome seemed to catch on.

Shippo looked between Kagome and Miroku, his face crumpling up. "No, Sango couldn't get that far. You have to go through the village to get to the entrance to the mountainside."

"So we can assume many." Miroku said. "Are you finished eating, My Lady? Shippo?"

"Yes." Kagome said, tense. "What are you thinking?"

"How much water do we have?" He said looking in the pitcher.

"Miroku?" She asked again, walking up to him.

"What are we doing!?" Shippo leaped onto her shoulder. Surprised by his weight she staggered, and almost fell.

"Be careful!" Miroku grabbed him by the tail and barely curbed the urge to throw Shippo off, instead tucking him into his arms. "My... Kagome is weak and can't support your weight."

"I'm sorry." Shippo said in a small voice. "I'm sorry."

"I know you didn't mean it." Kagome assured him, flushed and embarrassed at her weakness.

"You can make up for it." Miroku's face was serious. "Shippo you can use fox-fire, can't you? Do you think you can burn down that door?"

From the shelter of his arms the little fox looked a the heavy planks and swallowed.

"Are you nuts?" Kagome gasped. "We're in a little windowless room! If he sets a fire in here we'll die of smoke inhalation before it finishes burning!"

"Like you said, My Lady, they need us alive." Miroku reminded her. "If they notice the fire, they'll have to remove us. They won't have time to knock us out again."

"That's if they notice!" She argued. "What if they don't?"

"I dunno, the planks are awfully thick." Shippo said. He looked up at Miroku. "What about your Kazaana? If your wind tunnel can't suck it up I don't think my fox fire will burn it through."

Kagome sucked in a deep lungful of air and stumbled against Miroku, clutching at his robe. He'd gone ashen. He lifted his hand and looked at the beads and glove he'd not even bothered to question in months. _A great vortex of nothing that consumed everything in it's path._

The lights went out.

"They heard, they know!" Miroku cried. "My Lady, Shippo, get behind me!" He felt Kagome grab hold of the back of his robes and Shippo scrambled out of his arms and over his shoulder. He didn't wait, afraid any moment he'd be overtaken by their sleep control. He pointed his hand at the door, ripped off the beads and felt the vortex open.

The room became suffocating as the Kazaana sucked in the surrounding air before trying to consume everything else. Miroku felt Kagome burrow into his back, clutching at his robes. He feared for moment that the door was spelled and wouldn't succumb. Then he heard a sick crack, felt something strike the vortex and be eaten.

Light spilled into the room. True light, not the unnatural light they'd become used to. It was the light of torches.

"Close it!" Kagome cried. "_Close it!_"

He left it open a breath longer, letting the door fly off in chunks. Then he wrapped up the vortex, his body remembering what his mind didn't. "Run!" He cried and grabbed her hand and pulled her after him.

She stumbled after him, trying to keep hold of the small body of Shippo in her arms. The broke into the hallway and paused, looking both ways down the corridor.

Shippo popped his head up and squirmed out of Kagome's arms, landing on Miroku's shoulder. "I smell fresh air that way!" He said pointing down the hall. "That way is out!"

"Good job!" Kagome cried, already feeling out of breath. She looked around and gasped. "There are other doors!" Other doors meant other prisoners.

"We'll come back for them." Miroku said tugging her in the direction Shippo indicated.

"They might be able to help us!" Kagome protested, digging in her heels. "Shippo said that there is a whole village out there!"

Miroku growled to himself, every instinct telling him to flee, take the girl over his shoulder and just run. She didn't want help, she just didn't want to leave anyone behind. But even if it was an excuse, she was right. They might need the help.

"Try the doors!" He said and ran to one, pulling at the knob. The door was not locked and swung open easily on greased hinges.

Kagome and Shippo ran to another. Shippo's nose wrinkled immediately. "Don't go inside Kagome!"

"What? Why?" She turned to look, but Shippo jumped on her head and covered her eyes.

"They're dead! They've been dead for a long time!"

"In my room too." Miroku said, grabbing Shippo off the staggering Kagome and pulling her forward. "Keep trying."

It was three more rooms of death before they found a young girl in trainee miko robes alive in one of the rooms. She had a companion, and older miko, who had been dead for at least a day. She didn't know her name and was hesitant to go with them at first. But Kagome didn't give her a choice grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the room. Once they got her going she ran, and Miroku wondered how he was going to protect another girl. The next room had a young man huddled in a corner. He jumped at them when they opened the door, but stopped when he saw the skinny figures of Kagome and Miroku in the same robes he wore.

Most of the other rooms in the hall held death, only one tottering monk who refused to be budged was left alive. Kagome had pleaded with him to come with them, but he had no strength in his legs and told her that he'd lie as to which way they went if anyone came to ask. When she refused to leave him Miroku lifted her physically and dragged her out of the room.

Shippo led them down another hall of doors, saying that the smell of outside was getting stronger. Kagome wanted to go back down the halls to open more doors, but Miroku only allowed her to open the ones on their way. The young man and girl they picked up helped them. They found two more young men, who said they were Shinto priests but couldn't remember anything else. And in the last room they found an old woman and a girl who looked so much like his lady that Miroku froze.

"_You."_ The girl spat glaring at Kagome.

"Do you know her?" Old woman asked, looking at the girl. "Is she another sister of ours? She looks like you."

"No." Kagome said, staring at her look alike. "I'm not her sister."

"She's a pale imitation of me." The girl said. "A copy."

"No, she's not!" Shippo yelled. "She's way better than you Kikyo! You smell!"

Miroku looked back and forth between them. He knew this woman was not alive, he could feel it. He couldn't remember why, but he hated this woman and knew that it was because she hurt Kagome. He knew the old woman. "Kaede?" He guessed.

"It had to be right one of these times." He heard Kagome mutter behind him and he almost laughed that she could crack jokes at a time like this.

"I know you." Kaede said standing. "Is this a rescue?"

"More or less." Miroku said, glancing at the eerie dead girl who wore his lady's face. "More of a jail break. Will you come with us?"

"My sister can't move." Kaede said gesturing to Kikyo. "She's been weakened since we've gotten here."

"We'll carry her." Kagome said, and Miroku and Shippo gaped at her. "We can't leave her behind!" She turned to the others they'd gathered behind them. "Will you help us?"

"She's unnatural," one of the Shinto priests said. "She goes against life and the natural order."

"Not by choice." Kagome countered. "I'll carry her myself." She moved forward.

"I don't want your help!" Kikyo protested, arching back.

"Sister!" Kaede scolded.

"I'll help." The girl they'd found said. "No one should be left to die here." The man they'd found alone nodded and moved forward. Kikyo refused to be touched by Kagome, but allowed the others to carry her out.

They stuttered to a stop as they stumbled out of the mountain. It was mid morning and bright outside. Miroku sucked in a deep lungful of air. Freedom!

"The barrier is down!" A voice cried out.

"To the mountain! They are escaping!" Cried another. Doors opened and feet were pounding towards them.

"Crap!" Miroku yelled and Kagome looked at him in surprise at the coarseness. He could see villagers pouring out of their huts. They didn't look evil, or tough, they looked like villagers from any regular town. But just because they were "normal" didn't mean they weren't dangerous. There were a lot of them.

"Shippo, do you know which way is out of the village?" Miroku yelled. "My Lady, stay close to me." He felt her hands twine in the back of his robes.

"I'm here." She said, gasping for air and worn out. She leaned against him. "I can keep going."

"Everybody stay close!" Miroku called, feeling stronger knowing she trusted him. "Shippo, come up front with me, we might need your fox fire. My Lady-"

A flash of red swept past him and Kagome's hands were torn away from her grip on the back of his robes. "Monk!" She gasped, carried away.

"My Lady!" He cried out and turned, hand up and ready to open the vortex.

"No!" Shippo yelled leaping on his arm and holding the beads down. "It's Inuyasha!"

"Houshi-sama!" A body hit him and he staggered as strong arms encircled his chest. "You're alive!"

"Sango?" He gasped. A loud roar and a rush of heat drew his eyes up. "Kirara!"

The firecat roared in greeting, then turned back to growl at the encroaching villagers. They shrank back, holding weapons like they didn't know how to use them.

"A demon!" One of the priests yelled. "A barrier! Make a barrier!" He and the other priest raised their hands to make a ward, but only a faint glow surrounded them and then fizzled out.

"Our holy powers!" One cried.

"It's gone!" Said the other. "I can't even sense the _youki_ of the demon standing in front of us!"

"Don't be afraid!" Miroku said throwing up a calming hand. "They're friends. They're here to help us escape."

"We've got to get out of here." Sango said, pushing herself back, blushing. She adjusted the large boomerang on her back. "We just have to get to the edge of the village, we've got friends there who will help us. Get on Kirara. We have to find Kaede too."

"She's here." He said gesturing behind them to the ragtag group of holy people he was leading. "We have to get these others out too, and there are others probably still in the mountain."

He watched Sango's face harden as she saw who was supported between the young miko and young man. "What-"

"M- Kagome wouldn't leave her behind." Miroku said, his own frustration evident. "Let's put her, the girl, and Kaede on Kirara. The rest of us will run along below."

"Fine." Sango said, her face blank in a way that meant she was upset.

"Your concern is touching, but misplaced." Kikyo looked up to the heavens. "Worry for your own worthless lives." A pair of soul stealers undulated towards her. The young miko who supported her left side gasped and backed away quickly, and the young man followed. The soul stealers were joined by a third and they carried Kikyo away, a fourth coming with a soul to feed her. A chunk of the villagers shrieked and ran back into their huts.

"Sister!" Kaede cried, watching her go.

"There's no time." Sango said, coming up along the old woman's side. Kaede looked older then the monk ever remembered seeing her before, though he admitted his memory wasn't the best to go by.

"Lady," Miroku said to the young miko, "Please, quickly." He helped the terrified girl up onto the cat's back as Sango guided a confused Kaede over.

"I know you." Kaede said to Sango. "Don't I?"

"Kaede-sama?" Sango said doubtfully.

"That's my name, my sister told me." Kaede sounded lost, but let them put her on the firecat. Sango looked up at Miroku, spooked at the strong woman's behavior.

"They did something to our minds." Miroku explained, "Took our memories. But it comes back."

"Miroku didn't forget you!" Shippo said. "Don't kill him!" Then he leaped over Kirara and cried "Fox Fire!" tossing blue fire at the mass of villagers starting to inch forward.

"You!" Miroku said pointing to the young man. "Get up there behind them. Make sure they don't fall." The man nodded and scrambled up the firecat's back. Looking over his shoulder Miroku yelled to the Shinto priests. "Follow closely behind Sango and I. Shippo! Come here!"

"Kirara, go!" Sango called unslinging her boomerang. The girl on the cat's back shrieked as they took to the air. Sango glared at the villagers. "Anyone comes close will answer to me!"

"Shippo." Miroku said as the fox jumped up on his shoulder. "I need you to stay behind with the priests. If anyone comes up behind us, use your fire. Can you do that?"

"I can do it!" Shippo cried and launched himself to the back of the group. "I'm ready!"

"Now! Run!" Miroku yelled and took off after Sango's retreating form. He was already winded and was disturbed by how weak he'd become. The priests following behind him lagging. The distance between the members of the group was too far and he worried that Shippo or the priests would get picked off. Their one stroke of luck was that the villagers seemed to be cowards. Sango flung her boomerang at them a few times and they scattered and fell back.

Suddenly that red blur was back, swiping claws at a group of villagers that had drawn close and was reaching out for one of the priests. "Bastards!" Inuyasha yelled at them. They screamed and scattered. He turned to Sango. "What the hell is taking you so long? All you had to do was grab the monk and old lady!"

"We have other people to worry about!" Sango yelled back.

"Yeah! Like me!" Shippo said pouting as he jumped up on one of the priest's shoulders. "You forgot about me totally."

"I just _want_ to forget about you, Runt!" Inuyasha snorted.

"Did you leave My... Did you leave Kagome alone?" Miroku asked, looking around in a panic. What if she was captured again?

"Kirara is with her." Inuyasha shrugged. "I put her where they can't get her. She's the one who insisted I come back here." He spun and struck a clay vessel out of the air. "What the hell!?"

The clay pot struck the ground and a purple smoke billowed out. Miroku put his sleeve over his nose and turned. The villagers had returned, masked and carrying more bombs.

Inuyasha staggered, choking, and Shippo jumped up on to a shoulder of one of the priests. "It's that same smoke!" He covered his nose and mouth. "Don't breathe it!"

"Houshi-sama!"Sango said pressing something over his mouth. "It's drugged!"

Miroku tied the mask over his mouth. "Keep running!" He called, and grabbed at Inuyasha's arm tugging him forward.

"We're not going to make it!" Sango yelled, trying to help the priests forward, out of masks.

"Get back to Kagome!" Miroku said pushing Inuyasha out of the smoke. "Come back for us later!"

"Like I'd do that!" Inuyasha spat. "I ain't running from a bunch of stupid villagers!" He pulled out his sword.

"You can't!" Sango cried. "They're humans!"

"That don't make 'em worth anything!" Inuyasha yelled back. "It's their own fault for makin' themselves my enemy by takin' Kagome!"

"Moron!" Sango yelled. "Your wind scar only works on demons!"

Inuyasha growled. "Don't mean I can't gut 'em."

"There are too many." Miroku said, holding a passed out Shippo and supporting the other priest. "You couldn't strike them all down, not before you'll pass out from the gas!"

"Milord! Milord Miroku!"

Distracted, Miroku looked up and then gasped. There was a huge yellow _something_ in the air. The villagers shrieked and fell back. Kirara roared and swept past them, using her fire to burn away the drugged smoke.

"Monk!" Kagome called from it's back. "It's your friend! We came to get you! Please Mister, go lower!"

"It's Hachi." The yellow thing sounded hurt, but obediently lowered himself down.

"What the heck are you doing here?!" Inuyasha yelled leaping up and grabbing her by the shoulders. "I told you to stay put!"

"But I could see from the cave that you needed help!" Kagome protested. "And Hachi and Kirara wouldn't leave me there by myself."

"Argue about it later!" Miroku yelled, wanting to shake her himself. He pushed the priest up onto Hachi's back. "We've got to get these people out of here!" Kagome broke away from Inuyasha to take the sleeping Shippo from Miroku and helped the monk up. Kirara landed on Hachi's back and took the kitsune gently in her mouth so Kagome could use both hands to help him to his feet. He tugged her after him, forward to the safer, wider part of Hachi's back.

Sango pulled the other priest, sickened from the smoke, up after herself. She looked over her shoulder. "The villagers are coming back! Go! Go!"

Hachi rose into the air, narrowly rising above more lobbed smoke bombs. Kagome watched, breathing hard and shaking as they rose over the village and got their first view of the mountain that held their tiny cell.

"Free." Miroku breathed. He looked down at the petite and half starved girl beside him. "My Lady, we are free!" He gave a great whoop and grabbed her up, swinging her in circles. "We're free!"

Kagome laughed, throwing back her head and letting sun beat down on her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "You did it!"

"We did it." He said, and then his mouth crashed down on hers, holding her tight and kissing her. He felt her stiffen then relax and held he her tighter.


	5. The Whys

_I have a bunch more written, but I'm trying to see if I can't compress it a bit so I can get back to the relationship part. There has to be some explanation of what's been going on with everyone and why they were in that cell. I hope I don't make anyone too impatient. - SocialExperiment _

::0::0::

Miroku only had a moment to enjoy her lips before was on his back and a heavy weight was crushing his throat.

"Get your perverted hands off of her!" Inuyasha said, punctuating his words by lifting and thumping Miroku against Hachi's back. His claws tightened on the monk's throat.

"Off!" Miroku croaked holding his hands up. "They're off!"

"Don't!" Kagome practically fell over herself to get to the struggling figures. She grabbed at Inuyasha's hand tugged at them, trying ineffectually to pry them off the monk. "We... he was just celebrating. He didn't mean anything by it."

Inuyasha looked up and seemed to see her for the first time. He let go of Miroku and stepped over him. "Kagome." He breathed. He raised a shaking hand to brush at her hair and then looked her over. "Are you okay? You're so pale and...I... I tried to get to you but-"

"I'm fine." She smiled stepping close to him, taking his hand in hers. "I'm okay. I knew you'd come."

"Kagome." Inuyasha whispered, his head hanging in shame. He opened his arms, a bare inch. She took the invitation and leaned in for a hug. Inuyasha's arms wrapped around her loosely.

Miroku looked away from them. He'd been hoping for this reunion for five months, so why did he feel so dissatisfied? Kagome had her man and her freedom, as did he. That should be enough.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked, kneeling next to him. "Did he hurt you?"

He rubbed at his throat, and pulled his hand away and saw a faint streaks of blood where Inuyasha's claws had pricked him. He sighed. "I'm fine. I simply forgot myself."

Sango rubbed her arm and glanced away, looking embarrassed. "You said before that your memories...?"

"Until this morning, I didn't even know my name." Miroku said, sitting back up and arranging himself cross-legged. "And still, most of my past is a mystery to me."

"But you remembered me?" Sango said, looking up with hope. "You knew my name."

Miroku sighed wondering which would be kinder, to lie or tell the truth. "M- ... Kagome had dreams, dreams that held snatches of the past. She remembered you all very early on, but your names eluded us. Many things eluded us... This morning Shippo filled in some of the blanks but we're still confused."

It was an odd thing, speaking with Sango and Inuyasha. All his instincts screamed at him to trust them and they'd reacted in battle like the team he knew they had once been. Kagome in Inuyasha's arms looked natural, and sitting here with Sango he could almost believe the past five months hadn't happened.

But at the same time he remembered those months better than any time spent with dog demon and slayer. He remembered Kagome, the cell, and not much else. He didn't know why they were all traveling together. What glued them together so strongly that he'd believed they'd be coming for them no matter what? What had kept the half-demon and slayer from their important task, the task he couldn't remember, just for them?

"You don't remember anything else?" Kagome said from the shelter of Inuyasha's arms. "I've been remembering lots. The more I see the more I remember."

"Memories have always come to you easier, My Lady." Miroku said, looking troubled. "I still find myself with little else to go on. What have you remembered?"

She shook her head and frowned. "It's hard to say exactly. I remember Inuyasha fighting with his brother... " her gaze turned inward. "And your master's name was Mushin. Inuyasha got a retainer that's a flea, and... and I remember-" She waved her hand. "It's all disjointed." She sighed and leaned against Inuyasha, making the brash half-demon blush. His eyes widened.

"Hey, you're shaking!" Inuyasha said, sounding panicked. Kagome's legs buckled and his arms tightened to support her. "What's wrong with her?" He growled looking at Miroku. Her head flopped forward to rest against his red clad shoulder.

For a moment Miroku thought Inuyasha was mad at him, and fought the urge to bristle at the insinuation that he was responsible for Kagome's condition. _He's scared. This is how Inuyasha acts when he's scared._ The whisper of memory chased down his spine, distracting him from speaking.

"N-nothing." Kagome said. "I'm just tired. We... we did a lot of running today."

Itching to pull her out of the half demon's grip, Miroku nodded. "She's been weak, and getting weaker every day. Something in the mountain was sapping her. She has been spending most of her days sleeping. I'm not surprised she's exhausted." He was sapped himself, and wanted nothing more than a futon and the familiar weight of Kagome in his arms. He sighed realizing he would probably have neither tonight. Or ever, he realized. Kagome was Inuyasha's.

Inuyasha picked her up bridal style. "I'm gonna take her back to to camp so she can sleep. I'll meet the rest of you there."

"No, I want-" Kagome started, but she was gone before she could finish her sentence.

::0::0::

Miroku couldn't count the questions he had buried in his throat as they followed slowly after the half-demon. Why had they been taken? What had happened while they were gone? Why had it taken Inuyasha so long to come for them? Would they ever get their memories back fully?

He could feel Sango watching him as they traveled. He wondered if he should embrace her the way Inuyasha had Kagome. Would that trigger his past to come back to him the way Kagome's had? He hated this uncertainty.

Kagome was sleeping by the time Hachi arrived with his cargo. Inuyasha had tucked her into her sleeping bag and was standing guard like she might disappear if he took his eyes off of her. Kaede was still confused, but had felt comfortable enough to start cooking a meal with the supplies in camp. Hachi was dispatched to tell their allies in the woods, villagers from Kaede's village and some others they'd helped in their travels, to stand down and return to camp below their elevated cave.

Sango laid Shippo, still passed out from the drugged gas, in the bag with Kagome before turning to help Kaede. She glanced at Miroku. He sighed, no one was ready to talk yet and there were things to take care of. The priests were in a daze, half-drugged from the smoke. They obeyed commands like zombies, but didn't speak, ask questions or even seem to notice their strange surroundings. Miroku had commanded them to sit safely out of the way and went to try to coax the others out of the cave.

The young miko girl and man they'd found in the mountain were huddled in the back just beyond where the bright afternoon light fell. They had already been terrified to have suddenly fallen in with such a strange mix of demons and humans; it hadn't helped that the half-demon had yelled at them when he'd arrived with Kagome. They still couldn't remember their names or anything about their pasts.

"Little Lady, Good Sir," he said, kneeling down with them. "Please come out. Lady Kaede has made us a fine meal and I think if we talk we might be able to discover more about the strange situation we've found ourselves in."

The young man glanced at the girl. "The hanyou threatened us, it's not safe. Please, just give us food and some water. We'll make our own way."

"Inuyasha's bark is worse then his bite." Miroku assured them. "He was merely worried for My Lady, and it made him short tempered."

"That girl is a mate of a demon?" The girl said, sounding betrayed. "But she's a miko, I can feel it."

"Inuyasha cares for her deeply, but they are not... connected that way." Miroku said, knowing he should ignore the question. Kagome and Inuyasha had always overcome prejudice through sheer force of will. The miko, if she had any kind of open mind, would come to respect them without Miroku's interference.

"Feh," Inuyasha said from the entrance of the cave. "Leave 'em Monk! Come and eat."

"A moment," Miroku said, his stomach rumbling at the smell of blessed _meat_ coming from the cave mouth. "Please, My Lady and I were jailed along beside you. Without Inuyasha and the others we would not have escaped. For that reason alone can you not trust us a little?" He grinned, winking at the young miko. "Besides, aren't you hungry? Nothing but fruit for days and days and now you'll pass up the opportunity for meat?"

The young man put a hand to his stomach, going pale with the force of his hunger. He glanced at the girl clutching to his sleeve. She obviously wanted to go but was afraid to go alone. "Fine." He muttered.

"Good man." Miroku said offering his hand to help him up. Sango who had been watching just out of the way smiled.

"Your charm hasn't changed, Houshi-sama." She said, smiling at him as he followed the others out.

He started, but smiled easily. "I don-"

"There's something wrong with Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice was panicked.

"What?!" Miroku ran forward to the little sleeping bag. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Kagome said, on her stomach and struggling to keep herself supported on her elbows. "I'm just tired." She grunted and fell back into her pillow.

"She can't get up." Inuyasha said kneeling next to her and hovering with his hands out like he didn't know where was safe to touch. "I woke her up for dinner but she keeps just flopping around like a fish."

Miroku sighed, tension rushing out of him. "Oh."

"What do you mean OH!" Inuyasha looked up, his eyes flashing red and his teeth bared.

"What's wrong with her, Houshi-sama?" Sango said, running to her friend and laying a hand on Kagome's back. She tugged a snoring Shippo out of the way, hugging him like a doll. "Kagome-chan, can't you rise?" She looked over at Inuyasha. "She didn't breathe any of that smoke, did she?"

"No, I got her out of there before they started lobbing that stuff!" Inuyasha insisted.

"Don't worry." Kagome pleaded, embarrassment tinging her pale cheeks red. "I'm just tired. I just need to sleep." She hid her face in her pillow.

"No, My Lady." Miroku disagreed, stepping forward. "You need to get up and walk a little, and then eat." He'd hoped that this weakness was an effect of their cell.

"What are you talking about walking!" Inuyasha barred his way. "Can't you see she can't get up?"

"This happens every time after she sleeps." Miroku said calmly, he craned to the side to look at Kagome. "My Lady-"

"My name is Kagome!" She said, struggling up to her elbows again, eyes flashing.

Miroku grinned. "And I am Miroku." He took a deep breath and smiled at her. "And do you really want to waste your first day of freedom sleeping?" She tried to keep glaring at him, but her expression melted into resignation.

"Oh, _you_." She said and flopped on her back. Sango looked back and forth between them. She was still worried, but the lack of fear from Kagome and Miroku calmed her panic.

"Me." He agreed. He looked at Inuyasha. By all rights, now that "her man" was here, he should be the one to support her. But Miroku felt uneasy at the prospect, he knew just what to do for her. "I have to help her walk."

"I'll do it." Inuyasha insisted. "I ain't lettin' your perverted hands on her." He turned and knelt down next to Kagome and unzipped her bag with unsteady hands. "What do I have to do?"

"Lean down a little more so I can get my hands around your neck." Kagome said, looking uncomfortable. Miroku wondered if she was feeling conflicted as he was about this sudden reintegration with their friends. Inuyasha obediently leaned in, blushing furiously when she wrapped her arms around him. "Now pick me up, but let me rest my feet on the ground."

Sango helped tug the sleeping bag from her friends legs as Inuyasha lifted her. Kagome almost slipped through his fingers as he started to let her go assuming she could support her weight. She gasped and grabbed him tight around his neck. She was used to Miroku's practiced arm that knew when to grip and when to let go.

"Ah." She said, beet red. "I'm sorry. I should have told you I couldn't-"

"Don't be dumb!" Inuyasha barked. "Just tell me what I have to do." His arms tightened around her waist, pressing her to him.

"Turn her so that she's at your side." Miroku said, the words popping out. He stepped forward miming how to hold her. He tried not to show his frustration, if he'd just been allowed to help her as he had up until now they'd already been walking. "First she needs to get her feet under herself, then, after a bit she gets a some of her strength back-"

"I got it!" Inuyasha said impatiently. He awkwardly moved Kagome to his side and she wobbled trying to move her legs. "Just move them forward!" Inuyasha grunted, staring at her bare feet like he could will them to move.

"I'm trying!" Kagome said, she glanced at Miroku and then turned to hide her face in Inuyasha's shoulder. "Does everyone have to watch?"

Miroku started and looked around him. Kaede and Hachi stood by the cook fire watching her progress. To his left stood their fellow captors, and Sango beside them. The only ones who weren't watching were the priests who still stared off into space and Shippo who slept boneless in Sango's arms.

"Look the fuck away!" Inuyasha growled and Miroku winced to see his grip tighten on Kagome. He knew how strong Inuyasha's hands could be. Even though he knew Inuyasha would never intentionally hurt her, Kagome was so weak...

"I'm sorry!" Miroku said putting his hands up and turning quickly away. "Your weakness is nothing to be ashamed of." He turned to the others. "I'm sure My Lady doesn't mind if we start eating." He shuffled them off, trying to ignore the scuffing sounds of Inuyasha and Kagome pacing back and forth, bickering the whole way.

Miroku felt obligated to look after his fellow escapees before himself. He got the miko and young man settled with bowls of stew. Then he turned to the priests. He put bowls in their hands and spoons, wrapping their hands around the handles. "Eat," he said. His brow furrowed as they mechanically complied, scooping messy spoonfuls into their mouths.

Sango put Shippo back to bed on Kagome's pillow, glancing at Kagome and Inuyasha and then at Miroku. "Are they alright? Where they like that before?"

"No, just after the smoke." Miroku frowned. "It must be temporary. Shippo said Kaede and he were dosed with it yesterday. Someone should watch them until they come out of it, so they don't panic when they awaken."

Sango nodded. "I'll get some villagers to take care of it. I might have to bring them up. I don't want to put anyone with holy power on the ground, it would just invite the Twin Mountain villagers to attack. That's how they got Kaede-sama."

"No strangers up here!" Inuyasha yelled, his sharp ears taking in their conversation. "I'll watch 'em."

Miroku looked over, about to suggest they take shifts. He immediately focused on Kagome, sweating and pale in Inuyasha's grip. "You're going too fast, Inuyasha." He said, forgetting the priests. "Take it slower, give her time to catch up."

"I-I'm fine." Kagome protested, trying to straighten in Inuyasha's grip.

"Don't press yourself." Miroku frowned. "You have plenty of time to recover." Inuyasha and Sango exchanged glances and the monk suddenly doubted his words. Was he forgetting something important?

"I'm fine." Kagome insisted, then made a liar out of herself when she tripped over her feet. She hung limply in Inuyasha's grip and started swearing.

Sango gaped. "I didn't think Kagome-chan knew those words."

"She didn't." Inuyasha said glaring at Miroku.

"Don't look at me." Miroku said staring at Kagome.

::0::0::

"Eat this." Inuyasha said sliding a bowl of ramen over to her.

Kagome was looking decidedly green. "I'm not hungry."

"You're so _thin_, Kagome-chan." Sango said, out of her slayer garb and in the kimono both Miroku and Kagome had remembered. "Maybe you can try to eat just a little more?"

"I've already had rabbit stew, fish, rice, berries and pocky." Kagome protested. "I'm _full_, really." She looked up at Miroku and shot him a glare."Miroku is skinny too, why aren't you forcing him to eat?"

Miroku grinned at her, that boyish and happy grin that had almost disappeared in the last months they'd spent trapped. It made him so happy to see her eat more than a few mouthfuls of rice. She pursed her lips, not wanting to smile back. He could see that she was angry and he knew she didn't like being treated like an invalid. But he didn't care because she was _eating._

"Because the damn Monk didn't pass out after running ten feet." Inuyasha growled. "Or flop around like a fish after napping." Kagome flushed.

"M...My mistress was the same way." The young miko said hesitantly. "At.. At first she couldn't get up in the mornings, then she wouldn't get up at all." She swallowed as everyone's attention turned to her. "I would bring her food and water, but after a awhile she wouldn't eat. She slept more and more... and then she didn't wake up at all. I...I didn't even realize she'd stopped breathing at first. She'd been asleep for days." It was the first time the girl had volunteered anything about her confinement.

"I didn't want to get up either." Kagome said, glancing at Miroku. "I felt tired all the time and wanted to sleep. And it made me feel sick to eat."

"I just wanted to meditate." The young man said. Like Miroku and Kagome he and the others knew the truth when they heard it. He was a monk, but of what sect or discipline they hadn't figured out. "I don't remember waking up there, but I remember meditating. After a while, I began to wonder why I was there. It was distracting to my meditations, so I decided to find out the answer so that I could better concentrate. When I couldn't find the answer, I got scared." He frowned. "I think I would forget to eat some days, it wasn't until I got dizzy that I would think that I hadn't eaten."

"My sister woke me from my meditations." Kaede said. "I don't remember waking, I just remember meditating."

Miroku thought of his first memory in the cell. His shoulder being shaken by Kagome asking who he was and why were they there. "The same was true for me as well... Until My Lady shook my shoulder,

I was content to sit and meditate. Little Lady," he said addressing the young miko. "Did you not have this urge as well?"

The girl shook her head. "I saw my Mistress..."

"How did you know she was your mistress?" Kagome asked. "And.. I'm sorry.. but your clothes? Why were you allowed to keep your own clothes?" She fingered her sarong. "I'm kinda jealous."

"My Mistress demanded it." The girl said with a smile. "It's _my_ first memory. I remember standing behind her as my Mistress raged at the walls. She said we would not eat, would not drink and would not rest until our clothes were returned to us." She blushed and looked down. "She wouldn't even allow me to dress in the robes they had left. She said that they were impure, tainted."

Almost as one Kaede, Miroku, the young man and Kagome looked down at the clothes they wore. "Tainted?" Miroku asked. "How so?"

"I sense no mystic power around them." Kaede said and Miroku nodded.

"But can we trust our powers?" The young man said. He nodded at the dazed priests. "They said their holy powers were gone. And I too think my holy senses are... deadened. I should be able to feel the youki of the demons here, but it is very faint to me."

"My powers haven't faded." The young miko said. "I can feel how powerful Miroku-sama's Lady is, and the demons." She closed her eyes. "The firecat is that way." She said an unerringly pointed to the little cat, poking her head up from the laps of one of the priests. "And the tanuki is there!" She pointed down and opened her eyes. Following the path of her finger they could see Hachi milling among the villagers campfires, wheedling food.

"Can you sense anything about our clothes?" Miroku asked, feeling itchy as if the had just been told the cloth was inhabited by bugs.

She frowned and stared at him. Her brow wrinkled and she put her hand on his knee, fingering the cloth. "There's something... but it's faint."

"Take it off!" Inuyasha said to Kagome. "Right now!"

She flushed and crossed her hands over the knot at her chest. "No way!"

"Take if off yourself or I take it off." Inuyasha growled, claws flexing.

"I'm not getting naked in front of everybody!" Kagome curled in on herself, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Perhaps if you offered her something else to wear." Miroku suggested. He grinned at Kagome. "Though I wouldn't mind the alternative."

She shot him a dirty look. "Of course _you_ wouldn't."

"Who _would?_" Miroku grinned. "Maybe you should just remove the clothing, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha cursed. He shrugged off his firerat haori and draped it over her shoulders. "Wear that." He said gruffly. "Just take that other stuff off."

Blushing bright red Kagome put her arms through the baggy haori, swamped in the red fabric. She tied it shut before reaching down the neck to untie the knot.

Miroku had a sudden flash of their last night together and looked away, swallowing. Now was not the time for random desire. He looked back and started.

"What's wrong?" Kagome said adjusting the haori to try to cover more of her skin. "Monk, you look weird." She stepped forward, a little shaky on her feet. She took his hands. "What's wrong?"

"I remember seeing you like this before." He said, staring down at her but his gaze was inward. "There...was a holy man, a sage, who was not a holy man. We thought Inuyasha had died. Your clothes were destroyed. There were peaches."

"The Peach Man!" Kagome said hopping in place, clapping. Inuyasha, Miroku and the young monk watched her bounce. With every hop, she threatened to burst out of the top of the haori. "You remembered!"

"Yes." Miroku said, dry mouthed and praying for more memories to hit him. Maybe he could make her bounce some more.

"My Lady!" The young miko said covering her eyes. "You are being immodest!"

"What? Oh!" She crossed her hands over her chest and collapsed back into her seat. "Perverts!" She said to the men, blushing.

"Perhaps you should do some Air-oh-biks." Miroku suggested, trying to picture her doing them in the skimpy outfit. "To build up your stamina."

"What are Air-oh-biks?" Inuyasha asked, fingering his sword. He didn't like the way the monk's eyes were ranging over her, but didn't know if what Miroku was suggesting was offensive or not.

Miroku's expression went beatific. "Why don't you show him, My Lady?"

She glared at him. "Why don't you go _entertain_ yourself?"

"Mmmm." He looked her up and down, memorizing her. "Maybe later."

"What the fuck Monk?!" Inuyasha grabbed him by his robes. He didn't get the references but he knew what the monk was thinking when he used that tone of voice.

Miroku blinked. He'd forgotten the presence of the others, and that he wasn't supposed to think of Kagome that way. He could see doubts flickering in Inuyasha's eyes. He was wondering what had happened between Kagome and him while they'd been gone. The golden eyes were expressive, guilt, confusion, worry, concern and hurt were masked with gruff anger.

The monk sighed. "I'm sorry. It was a jest in poor taste." He gave a sketchy wave of his hand to Kagome, nodding his head. "I'm sorry, My Lady."

"You sure are. The sorriest excuse for a monk ever." Kagome said with amusement, but her eyes flashed with confusion. She'd gotten used to bantering with the monk, and doing it here in freedom had made her feel a little steadier. Now that familiarity had been jerked away. "Please, Inuyasha, he was just teasing me. I used to exercise in the cell, and he thought it was funny." She shrugged, trying to look confident. "You kind of had to be there."

Inuyasha flinched and his ears went back like she's slapped him. "I tried-" He let the monk go, turning away. "Whatever."

"That's not what I meant-" Kagome started, throwing a pleading look at Miroku.

"We're getting off the subject." Miroku said quickly. "The cloth, can you sense anything strange about it?" He asked Inuyasha.

Growling, Inuyasha snatched up the cloth and sniffed it. "It just smells like Kagome."

Apples, Miroku thought, it smells like apples.

"Then can I have it back?" Kagome asked. "I'm cold." She glanced at Miroku out of the corner of her eye. In the cave, if she'd said that it would be his cue to sling her across his lap and wrap her in the sleeves of his robe. He would have rubbed her arms and held her close.

He caught the glance and looked away. It wasn't his job to see to her needs that way anymore. His hands twitched as if to disagree with him.

"No." Inuyasha said. "The girl said there's something weird about it."

"Hold it open." Kaede said, standing up. She touched the cloth and concentrated. A light pink light infused the cloth, highlighting strange characters woven into the cloth. She was only able to hold it for a moment. "My powers have weakened." She said.

"What were those marks?" The young miko said. "Was that the taint my Mistress spoke of?"

"They're sutras." The young monk and Miroku said at the same time.

"I don't recognize the purpose." Miroku said. "Do you?"

"They're calming sutras." The young man's brow wrinkled. "They're usually used to bless animal pens. It's meant to make the animals placid and obedient."

Miroku's skin crawled. He thought of all the times he'd wondered why he wasn't upset, why he wasn't more scared. He explained his thoughts to the group, still oddly calm. Kagome, the miko, Sango and Inuyasha looked increasingly disturbed as he explained that their captors must have used the robes to help keep them calm and from thinking to escape.

"My Lady had been effected less because she'd never worn the robes properly. The sutras weren't properly aligned." He added. "That's why you felt no urge to meditate or be still as we did." He gestured to Kaede, himself and the monk. "Still, they were not meant for humans, so their control was imperfect." His gaze turned inward as he tried to puzzle it out. "I think it worked too well. It made us calm above all else, making us even forget our own bodily needs." He'd told the others of the rooms of dead prisoners. "The dead we found were often calmly sitting in lotus or reclined on the futon. I think they were so calm they didn't think to eat or drink." He looked sober. "Most likely the futon was similarly spelled, that's why their control on My Lady increased. The more time she spent in bed, the more time her body wanted to sleep."

"So our captors were monks?" The young man stood. "But that's not possible! What holy men would do such things?"

"No." Kaede said. "I felt before that there was no holy power outside of the mountain itself. We saw no one as we escaped, not until we left mountainside and entered the village. I think it's more likely they are using arcane knowledge with no true understanding or ability."

"But then they shouldn't be effective." The miko said. "If a person has no holy power, they shouldn't be able to effect us."

"But if someone without power were to write out a holy sutra and give it to me," Miroku countered, "I could infuse it and make it effective. They were using our own holy power against us."

"But why?" Kagome said curled up and shivering. "Why did they have us all there?"

"To make their barrier." Sango said. "Until yesterday the village was protected with a powerful holy barrier. Now that you have escaped, the barrier is down. It's what allowed us to finally come in after you."

"The barrier effected even you?" Miroku asked. "It kept humans out as well as demons?"

Sango shook her head. "No, only demons." She stood and pointed to the tall fence built between the rocky crags. "We humans were kept out by the fence, and the archers they station on the top. We've been attacking and raiding them, and have laid siege. But it takes time to starve out an enemy, and thats only if you have them truly trapped. They were able to raid us, and I believe they were getting in supplies somehow."

She folded her arms looking upset. "We did try to get to you. We broke through a couple times, but were always beat back. If we'd had money we could have paid for mercenaries, but all I had to lead were farmers. Half of them left because the harvest is coming."

"We are indebted to them for even making the attempt." Miroku said soothingly. He wondered if his robe was still working to make him feel calm. For the lack of a few coins he and his lady had been jailed for months.

She sighed. "When the barrier came down Kirara and I were able to fly past the fence, and Inuyasha leaped over."

Inuyasha had begun pacing when Sango explained about the village's fortifications. He stood with his hand on his sword and puffed out his chest defensively. "I tried to take the barrier down with Tessiaga." He growled. "It started to crack, but-" he looked away. "They dumped bodies over the fence. Said I was killed them by attacking the barrier." He looked at Kagome, tortured. "One of 'em was a girl, I... I thought it was you at first. I had to stop."

"You had to." Kagome agreed going to him. "But you stayed and you kept trying." She looked up at Miroku. "Didn't I say we had to meet them halfway?"

Miroku nodded, trying to forget that her method had nearly killed her. "But why is the barrier down? There were many more rooms that we were not able to enter. I am sure there are more prisoners there."

"We'll find out tomorrow." Sango's face was grim.

"Tomorrow?" The young miko asked.

"We're attacking them." Inuyasha growled.

"Why?" the young monk stood up, looking terrified. "We've escaped, we've no reason to go back."

"Would you leave the others to die?" Kaede asked. "Sleeping their lives away? Do you not wish to know who you were? They have all of your belongings, and they may know how to reverse your memory loss. And the dead deserve to be put to rest."

"I want to help." The miko girl said.

"You all stay up here." Inuyasha said. "We ain't givin' 'em a chance to remake their barrier."

"But-" Kagome started.

"He's right." Miroku said. "Our powers have all lessened, and we'd do too much damage if we were recaptured. We can do more good here, out of the way."

"Our belongings." Kagome whispered, going pale.

"My Lady?" Miroku didn't like how she'd gone ashen.

She clutched at her neck reflexively. "The shards!"

"They have 'em." Inuyasha said grimly.

"But," Sango quickly put up a calming hand. "They don't seem to know what they have. They haven't tried to use them against us."

"Shards?" Miroku repeated. His mind was trying to make the connection, but it was like it was just out of reach. It was a dark blankness that he realized he didn't want to penetrate.

Sango and Inuyasha looked at him and then exchanged a glance.

"You don't remember, Houshi-sama?" Sango said, looking nervous. "About the jewel? Or-" She glanced at his hand.

Miroku brought his cursed hand up to his chest, feeling uneasy. His instincts were telling him to bolt before they could say something to trigger his memories. I'm scared, he realized, stroking his beads with the other hand. I don't want to know. He shifted, stopping himself from stepping back by sheer force of will.

"Monk." Kagome said, and she looked haunted as she stepped forward. She took his gloved hand in hers.

She's touching it, his mind boggled.

"Do you remember when I said I'd unleashed evil?" She traced the beads. "It's the jewel of four souls, I broke it."

Miroku's vision sparkled and for a moment he thought he might pass out. "Naraku." He said through numb lips. His cursed hand jerked. Now it was all back, everything about their journey. They were traveling together because of the jewel, and because of Naraku. He had to kill Naraku or his hand would consume him and everyone around him. Five months, his mind chittered at him. Five months wasted in a cell when he should have been hunting.

_She's still touching it._ He looked down, now she had both hands around his wrist, her fingers pale against the dark fabric. His palm was pointed at her chest, just a hands breath away. He pulled his hand away. "Don't." His voice was rough with emotion. He started to step back.

Kagome stepped forward, going on tiptoe to throw her arms around his neck. "We're going to get him!" She whispered fiercely. "He's going to die." Her arms tightened around him and he could hear what she wasn't saying. And you'll live, he'll die, you'll live. "We will." She promised.

His arms came up hesitantly, wanting comfort but knowing he shouldn't accept it from her. She buried her nose in his collarbone and he shuddered when he felt her tears tickling at his skin. She was crying for him. He tightened his hold and put his nose her hair, breathing in apples. He wanted to forget again.

Miroku was surprised that Inuyasha let them embrace until they parted on their own. When he looked up to see why, his face darkened. Inuyasha was looking at him with pity.

He'd forgotten how much he hated when people did that.

"If the attack is to be tomorrow," Miroku said, collecting himself, "then we should rest, and prepare ourselves."


	6. Remaining Chains

The young miko girl and the young monk were obviously confused, but Kaede scooted them away before they could ask dangerous questions.

Sango and Inuyasha sat with Kagome and Miroku quizzing them about what they'd seen in their flight. Everything Kagome and Miroku had seen indicated that the seat of power was not in the mountain. They hadn't seen so much as a guard until they'd left the mountainside. The cry had gone up from inside the village. The slayer and half-demon were determined to get to the center of the village.

"Do you remember anything from when you first entered the village?" Sango asked hesitantly.

"Entered?" Miroku asked, sitting up straight and taking his eyes off of Kagome. After watching her shiver for a bit, Inuyasha had gone and gotten some blankets and made a little nest for her to rest in. She was sleepily trying to follow the conversation and slowly falling into a doze. She didn't have much to add, having just held onto Miroku as they'd run. Miroku was distracted by her nodding head as she slid closer and closer to resting against Inuyasha.

"We weren't taken?" Kagome said, her eyes suddenly bright despite the yawn she was fighting back. "I assumed that we were kidnapped." She shivered.

Inuyasha grunted and reached out wrapping a hand around her waist and dragged her close. She started and he looked up at the darkening sky. "I'm sick of you shivering like a shaved cat." She made a face at the description, but snuggled into his side grateful for the body heat.

Miroku frowned. She was just like a cat, cuddling into any warm lap. He shook off the uncharitable thought. She was cold, now she was warm. "Back to the subject at hand... We went into the village willingly?"

"_You_ brought us here, Bouzu." Inuyasha growled. "The damn stupid petty demons had been all over us, slowin' us down. We were looking for a way to mask the shards and you said the Twin Mountain monks were experts at shielding." His arm around Kagome tightened as if he thought talking about the mountain would make her disappear.

Miroku's mouth went into a silent oh as the memories came back. "They made my beads, Mushin told me. The monks of the Twin Mountain Monastery used to be experts at protective arts, but their order has been shrinking over the years. They only share their knowledge among monks and priestesses. They believe letting laymen or non-humans know their techniques would make them easier to defeat."

"So you and Kagome-chan went in alone." Sango said. "We feared if we all went in together they might deny you." She nervously rubbed her hands against her knees. "You weren't supposed to stay overnight, you were just going to go in and speak with the head of the monastery and then return to see if we might stay longer."

"But you didn't come out." Inuyasha's voice was gruff. "After dark I tried to sneak in... but there was a barrier."

"I was able to get inside the barrier." Sango nodded. "But they wouldn't let me inside the gates. When I asked for you they said you'd already left."

"We knew they were lying." Inuyasha said flatly. "But Kirara and I couldn't get in, and Sango couldn't get past the gates by herself. I attacked the barrier, but-" He looked away.

"It's okay." Kagome said, patting his chest with her hand.

"But what did you do _then?_" Miroku asked. That accounted for a day, maybe two. They'd been trapped almost half a year.

"We tried circling around, over the top of the barrier on Kirara." Sango said, not taking offense. "It covered the whole town, right up the sides of the mountains." She looked away. "We went and got Kaede, as a priestess we thought she might be able to tell us something about it."

"The old hag didn't know nothing." Inuyasha groused.

Shooting him a dirty look, Sango calmly disagreed. "She was able to tell us that it was like no barrier she'd ever seen. And that it was a mix of powers, and that it actually originated from the left mountain face."

"I went to Totosai to see if he could do anything to my sword, but he said he was no good against holy power." Inuyasha said.

"I started gathering forces to try to get you out." Sango said. "Their guards are pitifully trained on the fence, I knew if I could get enough men together we had a chance." She wiped at her eyes and Miroku realized she was crying. "They... they started shouting things when we attacked. They said you were dead, and that we should just go away."

"We knew it was a lie." Inuyasha said, but his haunted eyes said differently. He'd been wondering all this time. They both had.

"It took you five months to get everyone together?" Miroku asked. It was amazing when he thought of it that way, they'd kept trying for almost half a year when they weren't even sure if Kagome and he still lived.

"Five months?" Inuyasha repeated. "What are you talkin' about, five months?"

"We counted," Kagome said, pushing herself away from him a little.

"We may have been off by a few days," Miroku conceded. "But I know it was close to that amount of time." He felt like he was feeling his way in the dark. How could he say he was grateful for them continuing to try to reach them without sounding insulting?

"It's been _three._" Inuyasha bit out. He stood up, leaving Kagome to almost fall on her face as his support was taken away. "Three months."

"No." Miroku said looking up at him, it had gotten dark and Inuyasha was mostly a glowing halo of white hair in the moonlight. "I _counted_. There were fifteen hours of light in the cave, then we slept. Every time we woke up I counted again, even if the night was only half as long, it was still at least five months."

"Houshi-sama, it only took us a month to bring Kaede, and another to get the men from the village to come along." Sango said. "We've been attacking them for the past month. It's only been three months."

"But how is that possible?" Kagome said frowning.

"We'll-" Sango started, but Miroku didn't hear the rest of the sentence.

::0::0::

"Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice was panicked. "Dammit!! Kagome!"

Miroku groaned, his face hurt. He really wished Inuyasha would shut up so he could figure out what had happened.

"Houshi-sama!" He felt Sango's hands on his shoulders.

"Miss Sango!" Hachi's voice called. "The others are waking up!"

Miroku got to his knees, a blanket sliding off his back. He'd been lying down? He shivered. And was he wet?

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice shifted from panic to relief.

Miroku looked over in time to see Inuyasha holding a slowly waking Kagome in his arms, rocking her back and forth.

"Inuyasha." She breathed. "What happened?"

"Houshi-sama?" Sango said, patting him on the back awkwardly. "Are you alright?"

"Dammit!" Miroku punched the earth. "Fuck!"

"Houshi-sama?" Sango looked at him with wide eyes.

Kagome looked over at him, tears coursing down her face. "It happened again. Even though we're free-"

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked, holding her close. "We were just talkin' and then you all just fell over. You wouldn't wake up."

"The others too." Sango said. "The monk, the miko, even the priests toppled over. Kaede-sama nearly fell into the fire!"

"This used to happen in the cave." Miroku said. "I thought we'd be free of it now that we're out." Did this mean they weren't free of any of the effects of the cave? He looked at Kagome. Would she continue to weaken? "How long were we out for?"

"About three hours." Sango said. "We tried throwing water on you, to see if you would wake... and I hit you." She looked away. "I'm sorry."

"No wonder my face hurts." He mumbled and she flinched. He tried to smile for her, not wanting her to feel self conscious. "I remembered that, you know. My Lady said she remembered a woman in a kimono, and slaps. I remembered how they felt." He rubbed his cheek fondly. "I have never been so happy to be hit."

She blushed and her shoulders relaxed.

"Monk." Inuyasha said, gathering up Kagome. "Keep hold of her." He thrust Kagome into his arms. "Sango. We're going. This shit ends now."

"But it's dark." Sango scrambled to her feet. "My men can't fight in the dark."

"So what? You, me and Kirara can do more damage then alla them together. Now that the monk and Kagome are safe we don't need 'em." Inuyasha paced back and forth in front of them. "You get on Kirara, we'll get to the middle and get the headman. Then we'll fix all this, for good."

"No."

"What?" Inuyasha growled.

"We do need them." Sango said firmly. "The village is big, we don't know where we're going. We need them to cover our way out. You can't withstand the gas, and since you refuse to wear a mask-"

"I don't need it!" Inuyasha yelled. "I'll just jump outta the gas!"

"Monk." Kagome said softly. "You're soaking."

"And I'm getting you wet." Miroku agreed. "Let's get you back to your sleeping bag." He got his feet under him and stood with her still in his arms.

"I'm starting to feel like a sack of potatoes," she sighed. "I can walk." She bit her lip. "I think."

"We'll walk again tomorrow." Miroku said, lightly stressing the 'we.' "Tonight just sleep."

"I should stay awake." She disagreed. "If they're going to attack tonight we should try to remember something more-"

"Miroku-sama?"

"What's going on?" The young miko asked, coming out of the cave trailed by the young monk and a worried looking Hachi. "Are we being attacked?"

"No." Miroku said, concentrating on getting Kagome settled into her sleeping bag. "We merely discovered that our captor's control is still effective."

"Control?" Repeated the monk. "What control?"

"Did you never try to stay awake through the night?" Miroku asked, sitting back on his heels next to Kagome. She reached out and took his hand rubbing her thumb over his knuckles soothingly. A little of his tension relaxed at the gesture.

"No." The monk frowned, his eyes widening. "If...if I had... when they came in at night I might have been able to-"

Miroku shook his head, his hand tightening around Kagome's. "My Lady did think of it, but it was no use. About five hours after the lights went out, we passed out just like we did tonight."

"But why is it happening here?" The miko girl asked. "I thought we were free."

"Inuyasha will find out." Kagome said confidently. "I _know_ it. He'll make them tell what they did to us." She squeezed Miroku's hand.

"How can you put your trust in that-" The monk started.

"Inuyasha has spent the last three months tirelessly attempting to rescue us." Miroku interrupted, his usually genial eyes snapping. "I would put my or My Lady's life in his hands without question."

"We've traveled with Inuyasha for a long time." Kagome nodded. "Don't worry. You can trust him." She fought back a yawn and struggled to sit up. "We should really help them with their plans."

"Go to bed." Inuyasha growled from behind them. Miroku looked over at Inuyasha standing beside the fire. He didn't look at them, instead looking over the forest. "We're going to stick with the original plan of attacking in the morning."

"I'll stay up-" Kagome started.

"The Bouzu can tell us what we need to know." Inuyasha said. "You sleep."

Kagome frowned. "But-"

"Kagome-chan, the men I lead aren't very well trained." Sango said stepping next to Inuyasha in the firelight. "I hope it won't come to it, but Kaede-sama might need your help with their injuries tomorrow. That's where you can do the most good."

"I know medicine?" Kagome's brow furrowed, then cleared. She shook Miroku's hand excitedly to get his attention. "I do! I know first aid and how to bandage and how to fight infection and-"

"That's good, My Lady." Miroku said squeezing her hand and then standing. "Now _sleep_." He grinned to her. "When did you ever think you'd hear me urging you to sleep?" He nodded to the monk and miko. "You should sleep as well. Our forces are small, we don't know what we might be called to do tomorrow." His face darkened. "For certain there will be prayers to be made to settle the dead they keep in the mountain."

The miko girl swallowed heavily, remembering her mistress laid still and quiet on the futon. She nodded and ran back to her blankets in the back of the cave. The young monk nodded and followed her, looking lost.

"Take a blanket." Kagome said tugging at the bottom of Miroku's robe and holding up one of hers. "You're still soaking. You don't want to get sick now."

Touched that she noticed with everything that was going on he accepted it with grace. "Thank you, My Lady."

::0::0::

Miroku started awake, reaching for a body that wasn't there. There was no familiar puff of air against his throat. "My Lady?!" He cried, panicked.

He sat up and looked around, already half standing without even remembering how he got his feet under him. Sango and the young miko looked at him curiously and the young man was crouching in his bedroll as if prepared for an attack. Kaede looked at him from her nest of blankets.

"I don' wanna get up yet." Kagome's slurred voice moaned from the cave mouth. "Jus' a little longer, Monk, please?"

"Oi, Monk, what's your problem?" Inuyasha stood in the cave mouth, hand on his sword. "Somethin' wrong with Kagome?" He glanced at the girl who seemed to be trying to burrow into the earth to avoid the pre-dawn light.

Going boneless, Miroku slumped back into his make-shift bed. He'd forgotten they were free. "I'm sorry. I... It was a dream." He'd thought for a moment he was back in their cell, and that they'd taken her while he slept.

"Are you alright Houshi-sama?" Sango asked, stepping over lightly and putting comforting hand on his shoulder. She was already dressed in her battle gear and looked like she'd been up for some time, or perhaps had not slept at all after their talks the previous night had ended.

"Yes, I'm fine." He assured her. "I was just disoriented." He patted her hand and missed her look of shock. He looked up at everyone else. "I'm sorry for disturbing everyone." He got up, too full of nervous energy to think about going back to sleep. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and strode towards the cave mouth. He glanced at Kagome, safe, sound and holding Shippo to her like a rag doll, and a little of his tension released.

He walked to the lip of the ledge outside the cave, looking at the Twin Mountains and the village nestled between them. He'd been too concerned with Kagome and the others to really pay attention to their surroundings yesterday. Directly below him a small army of men, mostly in villager's garb with crude, homemade weapons, camped and had already started to stir. There was thick forest between them and the village walls, hiding them from view.

The walls around the village were formidable, tall sharpened polls that stretched between the rocky outcroppings of the mountains. He could see the huts beyond them, and a few larger houses. It seemed like a prosperous place.

He shuddered, spying tunnel they'd run out of in the left side of the mountain. He wondered if they'd cleared away the dead bodies, or if there were other holy men and woman even now succumbing and dying inside. Would they just leave them to rot until they captured some other innocent soul and needed the room?

"It looks strange to see you standing without your staff, and in different robes." Sango said.

Miroku looked down at himself and grimaced. His robes were stiff and itchy from their soaking the night before."I would very much like something else to wear today." Even more then the discomfort of dirty robes, he wanted out of the spelled clothes his captor had provided. He clenched a hand. Now that she'd mentioned it he too missed the weight of a staff to lean on. Though with how weak he'd become he didn't know if he'd be even able to lift if like he used to.

"We don't have your things yet," Sango said apologetically. "But I'll talk to the villagers. I'll try to get all of you something else. There is a village three days ride back east where we can buy things that are more to your taste...after."

"Thank you." Miroku said. "It's not a priority, but it will make me feel better." He glanced at Kagome. "I know My Lad-" He sighed and shook his head. "I know Kagome would appreciate it. She had never been comfortable in the clothing they provided us, but I think she is not very comfortable in what she has now either."

Sango looked at him and then at Kagome. Inuyasha sat, Tessiga on his shoulder, as he brooded protectively over her. "Houshi-sama, you used to call her Kagome-_sama_. Did you forget?"

Miroku blinked. "I did. She used to call me "sama" as well, didn't she?" He glanced at her again. "I think after all this time together we can be a little informal." He looked at Sango. "Have I been referring to you too informally as well? If so, I apologize-"

"No, no." She said quickly, waving a hand. "I just know that speaking of the past helps you to remember."

"I do not remember much at all." Miroku said. "But I think that it will come back. My Lady remembers more each passing minute, and Kaede had most of her memories back by the end of the evening. I will be depending on your guidance when I misstep, it does help. And if I forget to say it later, I want to thank you for being understanding."

He took a deep breath. He wanted to ask about what Kagome remembered, about him and the slayer being connected. It felt untrue, but he didn't know if it was only he who felt that way. The more he was around the woman the more he remembered conversations, light touches, not so light touches, and slaps. Maybe there was something deeper and he had truly just forgotten.

The pretty slayer waved her hands. "I'm not expecting anything." She said as if reading his mind. "I know that you've been through a lot. I just wanted to let you know, that if you need me, I'm here. I want to help you remember." She blushed and turned. "I'm going to go below and see if I can't get those clothes."

The rest of the group was starting to stir and Miroku could see the priests had finally awoken. He sighed. The past would have to take care of itself, there was too much going on now to dwell on it.

::0::0::

Shortly after daybreak, Sango and Inuyasha left to lead the attack on the village. Sango and her small force of farmers would attack from the front. Kirara, Inuyasha, Hachi and Shippo would attack from the air. Hachi and Shippo weren't expected to do much other then terrify, the villagers had made their fear of demons plain. Sango hoped that having them descend in their transformed states would keep non-combatant villagers to their homes. Kagome had made Shippo promise to stay to the back and use his illusions instead of his foxfire.

Kagome would have sat and watched from the ledge, but she wasn't strong enough to walk and Miroku wouldn't take her. It was galling to them all that they couldn't help, he knew her well enough that if she saw injured or hurt villagers she'd try to get down despite her weakness. He distracted her with the priests.

The priests had forgotten everything, their captivity in the mountain, the escape, and even the fact that they were priests. The huddled against the wall, utterly confused and terrified. Miroku couldn't even convince them to change out of their robes into the fresh clothes Sango had gotten for them.

"I guess we know how we lost our memories." Kagome said, propped up with a bowl or porridge.

"Yes, it must be a side effect of the smoke." Kaede had checked them over there were no other faults. "Shippo and Kikyo must not have been effected because they are not human."

"I think it might explain some other things as well." Miroku said. "Sirs, why do you huddle here? Wouldn't you be more comfortable by the fire? Or there are blankets in the cave."

"It's safe here." One said, the seeming elder of the two. He had the start of a beard bristling about his chin.

The other nodded, his large eyes making him seem young. "It's out of the way."

"Those are the words I used while they were still under the influence of the drug." Miroku mused. "I told them to sit here, safely out of the way. I think this smoke interferes with your senses, and makes you obey commands given while you are under it's influence."

"So it's like a post-hypnotic suggestion." Kagome said, and then sighed when everyone gave her blank looks. "It's like, if you're told something while you're gassed, when you wake up you believe it. Even if it's something stupid like "you're a chicken." Haven't you guys ever seen a hypnotist on TV that convinces someone they're a chicken?"

"A chicken?" The young monk asked.

"Teevee?" The miko asked.

"Are you sure you are not foreign?" Miroku asked.

Kagome made a frustrated noise. "Never mind! Think of it like a type of magic that makes you do things or think things that other people planted in your head."

Miroku stared at her. "Like fall asleep at an appointed hour?"

"Yes." Kagome nodded. "Or think that twice as much time is actually passing maybe."

"How do we get it to stop?" The young miko said looking at the priests. "You don't have to sit here anymore!" She said to them. "It's just as safe anywhere up here."

"But we're out of the way here." One of the priests said, sounding lost.

"If it's like hypnotism, getting gassed again and being told to ignore all the commands from before should work." Kagome said.

"But then we would loose what memories we have gained and made in the past couple months." Miroku said. He didn't examine too closely how one of his first thoughts was that he'd forget what it was like to have her sitting across his lap, or dozing against his thigh. _Or, _a darker part of him whispered, _the taste of her mouth, how her skin burned in the dark and her thighs squeezed as they wrapped around him._

Kagome frowned. "I don't want that either." She shivered and wrapped herself tighter in her blankets. She looked at the priests. "Are you hungry? Do you want some porridge?"

They looked at each other.

"I'll get it." The miko girl said and hurried over to the cook pot to spoon out a couple of bowls.

"Even if they have forgotten everything, shouldn't they remember if we remind them?" The young monk asked. He knelt down, to be eye level with the priests. "Don't be afraid, just listen and think about what I'm saying." He waited for the priests to look at each other and then back at him. "Yesterday we escaped from cells deep within a mountain face."

"I opened your cell door." the miko girl said, handing them spoons and porridge. "And Miroku-sama and his Lady lead us out."

Flickers of recognition started to shine in their eyes. "There were demons." One priest said, scratching at his straggly beard.

The other priest rubbed at his forehead as if he could force himself to remember. "But they were not attacking. The people in the village were, with smoke."

"Then it goes blank." The young man grabbed at his hair in frustration. "Is that the sum of my life, a brief flight from captivity?"

"When we rescued you," Kagome said, setting aside her bowl, "you said you were Shinto priests."

"Yes." He nodded, his face lighting up. "I am." He looked at his fellow priest. "We are!"

Miroku nodded. "Good. You see, you can remember. You, we, just need to be reminded." He looked at the miko girl and monk. "Can you explain to them our game of "I think?" My Lady should be getting up now and exercising."

"I'm feeling much better this morning." Kagome protested. "I think we should help everyone get their memories back." She looked at the group of memory-less holy people. "You should ask each other why you came to the Twin Mountain village. And maybe try guessing some names." She smiled. "I'd like to be able to call you something other then Miko, Monk and "the Priests."

Miroku shook his head and stepped over to her. "I do not think the battle will take long, and we will be needed. You said you felt like a sack of potatoes, do you want to be carried all day like one again?"

"No." Kagome pouted and held her arms up, resigned to her fate. "I do feel much better today." She looked at the others as Miroku helped her to her feet. "We'll talk more when I'm done."

The rag-tag group nodded and turned to each other to help jog their memories.

Miroku gave himself a moment to breathe in apples and enjoy the feeling of Kagome pressed up against him. "You look better today." Miroku said starting her off slowly. "No headaches today?"

"None." Kagome said, smiling. "And I don't feel as tired." She looked down at her feet. "And I think I'm stronger today too."

"Yes." Miroku agreed. She didn't cling as much as she usually did. He missed that. His hand slid down her side and slowly moved to it's intended target.

"Eeep!" Kagome jumped, her arms tightening around his neck as she tried to keep her footing. "Monk!"

"Yes?" The young man stood up from the group. "Did you need something?"

"Sorry!" Miroku said keeping his hand firmly clenched on her buttock as he waved with the other. "She meant me that time."

"Get your hand off." Kagome hissed, hiding her face in neck.

"Something the matter?" Miroku asked cheerfully. "Are you tired?" If she didn't like it she shouldn't press herself up against him, it was much too encouraging.

"You are _so_ lucky that Inuyasha isn't here." Kagome said, prying his hand off her rear as they started walking again.

"Mmmm." Miroku said, looking over the forest. "Yes, lucky."

Kagome shivered. His voice was deep, and it made her remember wet kisses and wandering hands in the dark. She blushed and reminded herself that _it hadn't happened._

"You have not changed." Kaede said, giving Miroku a bland one-eyed stare.

"Were you expecting me to?" Miroku asked cheerfully. She just stared at him. "Was there something you needed Kaede-sama?"

"I find some relief in knowing that the smoke may steal our memories and effect our actions, but it does not change who we are at our core." Kaede commented as she walked along side them.

"That's Miroku, a pervert to the c- OH!" Kagome's feet leaped forward as he goosed her again. She shot him a glare, her mouth twitching to hold back a smile. "To the _core_," She finished. He shrugged, grinned, and didn't disagree.

"When you are finished," Kaede said, folding her hands behind her back and acting as if nothing had happened. "We wanted to attempt to use our holy powers to see if we might judge how weak we have become."

"But I don't know how-" Kagome started and then frowned. "Did I ever know how?"

"Your training has been sorely neglected." Kaede said with a sigh. "Any time you have used your abilities it has been on an instinctive level."

"Holy arrows." Miroku said, his gaze turned inward, he shifted to let her walk more under her own steam. "My Lady has incredibly powerful holy arrows."

"Oh!" Kagome said, a wide smile crossing her face. "Yes! I remember that!" Then she frowned. "But my aim wasn't too good."

Miroku said diplomatically, "It was improving."

"Be that as it may," Kaede nodded, "we should be able to test if you have weakened by that method."

"My Lady does not have the strength to draw a bow." Miroku protested. She could be injured if it snapped back on her. He'd seen people slice off pieces of their forearm trying to draw bows that were too much for them.

"I could try." Kagome protested. She looked up at him. "I want to."

Miroku's face fell into a bland, blank look. "Let us finish your walk."

She knew what that meant. He was going to be stubborn. "Please? I'll be super, super careful."

"Get your legs under yourself more. I think you can walk without my support now."

"Oh, don't change the subject." She said irritably, but stepped a little away from him, putting more of her weight on her legs. She wobbled a bit and put one hand out to steady herself and the other on Miroku's supportive hand at her waist. She frowned, "I don't need your permission, you know. And I don't see the harm in-"

"A bow should not be necessary." Kaede interrupted before Miroku could. "I'll see if we can find an arrow." She nodded to them and walked back to the group.

Kagome glanced at Miroku. His face was a careful blank, betraying no emotion. "You're mad." She said.

"I'm not." He said, but his words were clipped.

Kagome frowned. She didn't like upsetting him, she knew he was only worried. But her own stubbornness force to her to speak. "You are."

He didn't answer, his mouth flattening into a line.

They paced back and forth in silence. Miroku's grip on waist grew lighter. He took her hand she held out to steady herself and held it at shoulder level helping to keep her even. He walked behind her, wanting her to be able to walk on her own, but not wanting to take his hands off of her either.

Kagome giggled, breaking the tense mood. "When we walk like this it's like we're folk dancing."

"Folk dancing?" Miroku asked after a moment of silence, unable to contain his curiosity. He didn't know of any dance like this.

"Like in school." Kagome said, " But you'd have you hands like this." She took his hand off her hip and kept both in a light grip at shoulder level, "Step forward three," she took another three steps forward. "Now let me go." Miroku reluctantly took both supportive hands off of her. She turned to the right. "Then you cross the circle..." She stepped heel to toe a few steps away from him, wobbling only a little. "And meet your new partner." She turned back and started back to him, still heel to toe. "But there is just you and me so-" She lost control of her feet and tripped, tumbling forward.

Miroku scrambled to get under her and they went down in a tangle of limbs.

Sprawled out on top of him, Kagome hid her face in his chest. "I'm sorry!" She peeked at him. "Oops?"

He looked down at her. "Are you alright, My Lady?"

"I'm fine." She said, levering herself up. She looked worriedly at him. "Are you? I didn't mean to fall on top of you."

Sango had given Kagome a men's yukata to change into along with the others, as women's clothing was in short supply. From this angle the large garment hung away from her body nicely. Miroku took a long look down the loose vee of the neck. "I'm doing very well." So was she, though apparently, she was a little cold. That or she really liked being on top. "Very, very well."

Her brow wrinkled, his voice had deepened again. It sent shivers through her and a secret thrill coiled in her stomach.

"Mmm." He thrummed. _That_ was an interesting reaction. Was she getting colder or just more comfortable? Either way, he was happy.

Finally catching on to where his eyes were glued, Kagome gasped. "You! You pervert!"

Miroku's eyebrows flew up in keen interest, but his eyes didn't move, "You blush right to the tips of your-"

Kagome slapped him, clapped a hand over the neck of her yukata and rolled off him on to her back. "I can't believe you!"

Unable to resist, Miroku followed her, rolling over with the speed of a cat. He trapped her beneath him. He tugged at the neckline she held down. Propped up on one hand by her head his eyes stayed focused on her chest. "How far down does it go-?"

"What the hell Bouzu?!"

Miroku sat up quickly, up on his knees still pinning Kagome in place and smiling blandly at Inuyasha. "The battle is already over?"

"What's going on?!" Inuyasha didn't look much the worse for wear, but his face was thunderous.

"I... I fell." Kagome said, still laying on the ground hands folded protectively over her chest.

"I was merely checking My Lady for injuries." Miroku said innocently. He got to his feet and bent to help Kagome up, but Inuyasha got there first. He scooped her up and held her protectively away from Miroku, her feet dangling inches from the ground.

"It's fine." Kagome said. "What happened? Where are Sango and Shippo?" She tugged at his fire-rat robes. "They're okay?"

"They're fine." Inuyasha said, setting her on her feet and tearing his eyes away from the monk. "They're in the village. We've got the headman pinned in his house."

"But you haven't captured him yet?" Miroku was careful to keep his voice bland and not accusatory.

"The barrier isn't gone." Inuyasha's voice betrayed his frustration. "It just shrunk. Now it's over the center of the village, just the headman's house. Him and a pack of villagers are hiding in there. We got most of 'em lined up in the village square, the cowards, but I can't get in to roust the last of 'em."

"Sango?" Miroku repeated. The barrier didn't work against her and her forces, she should have been able to drag him out.

"Somethin' smells weird." Inuyasha said. "She ain't goin' in till we figure out what's going on." He shifted uncomfortably. "I think there might be a shard." His hands tightened on Kagome's shoulders.

"No." Miroku said flatly.

Kagome looked between them. "What? What's going on?"

"She's not going." Miroku said slicing a hand through the air. "It's too dangerous. She can't protect herself. She can't even run if something goes wrong!"

"_I'll_ keep her safe." Inuyasha gritted out. Kagome gasped.

The unspoken accusation hung in the air between the three of them. Miroku had not kept Kagome safe. He'd lead her into the village and into danger and had not kept her safe.

Miroku paled, any words dying in his throat.

"That's not fair." Kagome whispered.

"You stay close to me." Inuyasha said, turning his back on the monk. He lifted her up into his arms.

"Wait!" Miroku shouted. "I'm coming too!"

Inuyasha glanced at him over his shoulder, his ears back. "No," he said and leapt away with her.

"NO!" Miroku bellowed, running to the ledge. "My Lady!" They were already gone. Inuyasha was a red blur across the tops of the trees and Miroku couldn't even see her. He looked around wildly. There had to be a way down, he had to go after them. He ran back and forth along the lip trying to find a path.

"Miroku-sama!"

He turned to see the others huddled together watching him. The miko girl clutched the young monk's hand and the priests stood behind them. They all looked terrified.

"What happened?" the young monk asked. "Where did the hanyo take Kagome-sama?"

"Is your Lady in danger?" The miko asked.

"Kagome will be fine." Kaede said stumping forward, pushing through the group. "Inuyasha has taken her to help with the battle."

"But she's just a child." The beardless priest, who couldn't be a more than a couple years older than Kagome himself, said. "And she's so weak."

Swallowing convulsively, the other priest stepped forward. "Should we go... um.. retrieve her?" He was obviously scared, but he clenched his hands into fists and looked determined.

"No." Miroku said. "You all will stay here." He looked at Kaede. "How do I get down so I may follow?"

"There is no way up or down without aid." Kaede said. "Calm yourself, Sango or Inuyasha will return soon if we are needed. I'm sure that Inuyasha will keep Kagome out of direct battle, he merely needs to confirm the presence of a shard."

"I must go to My Lady." Miroku insisted.

"Surely your confinement taught you something of patience." Kaede turned away and calmly walked over to the cook fire. "Let us go and test our abilities so that when they come for us we can be of use." She moved the teapot over the fire. "I'll make tea."

Miroku clenched his fists. Every fiber of his being told him to go after Inuyasha. The half-demon had carried his lady into danger and the thought of simply _waiting_ while she might need his aid was impossible to swallow. He hadn't been away from her for more than a few minutes for the past five months, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be without her.

"Miroku-sama." The miko girl stepped forward. Miroku focused on her for the first time, truly seeing her. She was skinny in that gangly way of someone who has just grown into their true height and not filled out, even though she was about the same size as his lady. Her hair was long, deep black and tied at the nape. "Yesterday you said you would put your Lady's life in the hanyo's hands."

_That was before he all but accused me of causing Kagome harm, _Miroku thought. But the tension in his shoulders did lessen. "I do trust Inuyasha to keep her safe." He said, knowing it was true. Inuyasha would die before he allowed anything to happen to Kagome.

"But he is a demon." The beardless priest said.

"A demon and a man, and both halves are honorable." Miroku said, turning his worried eyes back to the village. "He just tends to be rash, and with My Lady so weak..."

"I think Kagome is not as weak as you would like her to be." Kaede said. "She has an important mission to complete, as do you. The sooner she can stand on her own the better. This will not be the last battle she faces." She sighed. "And this is a task only she is capable of." She looked up at Miroku from her seat by the fire and he could see that she was worried too. There was steel in her gaze, Kaede had lost much in her life and knew that sometimes it was inevitable. "Come now and focus on what you can do."

Feeling like he'd been scolded like a little boy, Miroku took a deep breath and tried to release the anger and hurt he felt. This wasn't the time to let his mind be clouded. He had to think rationally. But he _wanted _Kagome, he wanted her safe and here with him.

"This is not the only time Kagome will have to go somewhere you cannot follow." Kaede said cryptically, and her tone was gentle. "And you are not her only protector any longer. You may put down that task."

I don't want to he thought mulishly. A memory of Kagome's voice ruffled thought the back of his mind. _Some monk you are._ What are "wants" to a Buddhist monk? He was supposed to be unattached to this world. He might have pursued that goal in a rather unusual way in the past, but this _need_ for Kagome was starting to disturb even him. He took a deep breath. Inuyasha would keep Kagome safe.

He looked up to see the others still watching him with concern. "I'm sorry. I was taken by surprise and overreacted." He put his hand up in a prayer, his body going through the motion. "I forgot myself." His mouth twisted wryly. "Again."

The others visibly relaxed. As lost as he felt, he knew it was worse for them. He at least knew his name, the people and personalities they were dealing with. How much worse must it be for them with only bare hints of their past and completely dependent on strangers? They were looking to him for cues on how to react, now wasn't the time to "forget himself."

"Will you sit with us?" The bearded priest asked moving to the fire, looking at him in sympathy.

"I've remembered a few sutras," the monk said, "and Kaede-sama got us some ink and paper. Perhaps they might remind you of some others? I'll get the materials." He turned to get the tools.

"Your tea, Miroku-sama." the miko girl hurried over with a cup.

"Here." The beardless priest said gesturing to a large rock by the fire. "A seat."

Kaede looked at him from her log. Properly cowed by the obvious attempts to distract him and keep him occupied, Miroku allowed himself to be distracted from the current plight of his lady. Silently, like a mantra, he repeated to himself: _Inuyasha will keep her safe._

::0::0::


	7. Breaking the Connection

"Houshi-sama!"

Miroku dropped his brush, was on his feet and moving towards the ledge before he even registered what he was hearing. "Sango?" His eyes barely rested on her, looking past for a familiar flash of red.

Kirara landed on the ledge and waited for Sango to dismount before immediately turning and returning to the air. "Get everyone together. Hachi's coming to bring everyone into the village."

"Where is-?" Miroku started.

"Inuyasha and Kagome are in the headman's house. Kirara went back to take Hachi's place as guard. There are too many villagers to leave them alone long." Sango was still in her battle mode, brisk and efficient. "They're terrified of demons, so Hachi and Shippo have been keeping them cowed. Shippo won't be able to handle it all on his own."

"What is that?" The beardless priest said pointed into the monstrous yellow creature floating towards them in the air.

"That's Hachi-san, Miroku-sama's tanuki servant." The miko girl said. "He's the one who carried you here."

"He is a friend." The young monk nodded. "Miroku-sama, we're going to the village now?" He looked uneasy. "All of us?"

"Yes." Sango answered for him. "We need your help. The headman has a sacred jewel shard. He's managed to pervert the holy barrier with it. None of us can get in, not even Kagome-chan."

Hachi came level with the ledge. "Miss Sango, Inuyasha said to hurry. Kagome-sama is getting tired."

"Tired?" Miroku felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "What-"

"It will be quicker to show you." Sango interrupted, not looking at him. "Everyone get on."

"What kind of jewel shard does he have?" Asked the bearded priest as they stepped on to the tanuki's back. "Is it demonic in origin?"

As they took off Kaede told them an abbreviated version of the shikon jewel's history.

::0::0::

There were sobs and cries of terror as Hachi appeared over the village center. Miroku impatiently waited for him to lower enough so that he could leap off. He grunted as he hit the earth, his weakened legs feeling the strain.

"Bwaaa!" A bulbous, googly-eyed pink monster floated over the back of crowd, keeping the mass from bolting. Armed villagers surrounded the townspeople but they were outnumbered almost four to one.

"Shippo!" Sango called as she followed Miroku down. "Hachi and Kirara will take over. You can rest."

The pink bubble burst in a puff of smoke and an exhausted Shippo fell into Sango's arms. "Okay." He breathed heavily. "I did a good job?"

"You did a very good job." Sango nodded.

"Come." The monk called to the little miko, "I'll catch you."

"Can't the creature go a little lower?" The bearded priest asked Sango. "The lady is afraid to dismount."

"Creature?" Hachi sounded miffed. "I have a name."

"Well... that makes one of us." The girl said irritably. "Hachi-san, can you go any lower?"

Hachi drew in a breath and hovered just a little lower, and screwing her eyes shut the girl slid awkwardly off his back into the waiting arms of the young monk, followed by Kaede who the priests caught. The minute the crowd spotted their miko robes a clamor arose.

"Miko! Save us! Save us from the demons!"

"Help us! They will kill us!"

"Miko! Miko! Please!"

"Save us!"

The villagers surged forward, reaching for her and crying out for help. The girl shrank back against the monk and the priests took automatic defensive position around her and Kaede. Miroku stepped closer to the girl, sandwiching her between him and the other monk. Sango's men fought against the crowd trying to hold them back. Miroku felt sick but started to adjust the beads on his wrist. He wasn't letting any of them fall back into the villager's clutches.

"Hachi!" Sango cried, "Kirara! Get them back!" She turned to the huddle and yelled at them. "Get in the headman's house!"

"I'll help!" Shippo cried and jumped out of Sango's arms.

Miroku turned to look where she was pointing and nodded. "This way!" he cried and pushed the monk and miko towards the door. Behind him he heard Kirara roar and Hachi began to bellow threats of violence swooping close to the crowd. He glanced back as the last priest entered the house. Shippo had transformed again and was wending his way along the crowd.

"They've got it covered." Sango said and pushed him inside. She glanced back over her shoulder as she closed the door. "That's the first time they've tried to fight back."

"Will Shippo be alright out there?" The miko girl asked. "He's just a little boy, and he looked so tired."

Sango blinked, and seemed surprised at the question. She gave the girl firm nod. "I told him to ride on Hachi. He thought he could keep his transformation if he didn't have to fly too. If he loses his transformation he'll still be on Hachi's back and out of the crowds reach."

"Oh good." The beardless priest said. "He may be a demon, but he seems a good child." The other priest nodded.

"Where is My Lady?" Miroku asked, looking around.

"This way." Sango pushed past them to lead them around the corner and down a hallway. "The headman barricaded himself-"

"My Lady!" Miroku cried and ran forward.

Kagome was on her knees in front of a sliding shoji door papered in sutras, blessings and spells. She held a luminescent pink arrow against the track, keeping it from closing completely. There was a glowing barrier around the room with a gap just barely larger then the opening of the door. Inuyasha had his arm through break in the barrier and through the gap of the door, holding on to something. They could hear someone howling in terror on the other side. Inuyasha winced as the barrier edges started to close and brushed against his skin, raising raw red burns. When it continued to shrink it acted like a razor, cutting into the flesh of his arm.

"No!" Kagome cried and her skin glowed pink as she poured more energy into her arrow. It sparked brighter and the edges of the barrier wavered and moved back. Her knuckles were white and she looked like she was holding herself up by sheer force of will.

"We've got to break the barrier!" Miroku said running up to the door.

"Do it quick!" Inuyasha said over his shoulder. "Kagome can't hold on much longer."

The priests put up their hands against the edges of the barrier. "I know this technique." The bearded one said. "This is a barrier tied to an object."

"Yes." The wide-eyed priest agreed. "But I've never seen one this strong. It shouldn't be possible. But if we destroy the object the barrier should fall."

"This sutra!" The young monk said pointing to a scroll pasted to the door. "It strengthens barriers and seals. If we remove it, My Lady's arrow might be able to break the barrier long enough for us to get through and find the object." He reached out to grasp the paper's edges but it crackled with black power, burning him and thrusting him back. He cried out and was flung into the other side of the hallway.

Kagome gave a low moan slumping forward, her energy was depleting faster and faster into the arrow. "He...he's got a shard, he's making everything... weird."

The miko girl knelt next to Kagome. "My Lady," She said, "my mistress taught me a technique to share my power with her, to join it together. I'm going to try to give some of my power to you, to help keep the barrier open. Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded, and Miroku winced to see that there were tears coursing down her cheeks.

"You'll feel a warmth on your back." The girl said, placing her palms against Kagome's shoulder blades. "Imagine it's like a stream of fire, pouring down your arms to the arrow." She bit her lip and said hesitantly, "It might hurt a little."

"What?" Inuyasha started, looking over her shoulder at the pair. "Don't-Augh!" He focused back at the door. "That bastard's cuttin' me with something!"

"Do it!" Kagome yelled and the miko girl closed her eyes, a soft blue glow enveloped her hands. Kagome cried out and her hands clenched so tight on the arrow that they could hear the shaft start to creak from the pressure. The arrow's pink color flared bright again and the gap on the barrier widened. Inuyasha wedged himself inside the door trying to push it wider so he could fit through. He growled as he brushed up against the edges of the black crackling barrier, getting more burns and cuts.

Kagome sobbed. "It hurts." She gasped. "Oh," her shoulders hunched, "...is it supposed to hurt this much?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, My Lady." The girl said, crying too. "It's because you're untrained. I'll- I'll stop."

"No!" Kagome cried. "Not until the barrier is down!"

"Out of the way!" Miroku pushed aside the priests and found the sutra the monk had pointed out. He grabbed the edges ignoring the burn and the pressure it exuded to push him back. His own holy power flared to the surface warring with the tainted sutra. His fingers dug into the paper and tore it off. There was a black crackling explosion and he was thrown back so hard that the hallway wall cracked with the force of his impact. His vision sparkled, but he saw the miko take her hands off of Kagome's back. Kagome slumped forward in a faint, her hands still clenched tight to the arrow. The barrier had fallen the moment he'd torn off the sutra. Inuyasha flung the door wide open and jumped on the man he'd been holding. The priests followed him through the door.

"I found it!" One of them cried. "This lamp!"

"Break it!" Yelled the other and Miroku heard a smash of tinkling glass and a wail from the man Inuyasha was holding before he blacked out.

::0::0::

"You've got to stay still!"

"Monk? M-Monk?"

"She means Miroku-sama." The miko girl's voice sounded far away. "Is he awake yet?"

"'M awake." Miroku said, struggling to sit up. "I'm awake."

"Houshi-sama." Sango helped him get upright. "Kagome-chan just woke up, but she's delirious. Can you calm her?"

"Can't move too well." Miroku said, feeling cotton mouthed and weak as a babe. He hadn't realized how weak his holy powers had gotten. Pulling off one tainted sutra shouldn't have put him in this state.

"I'll help." Miroku found himself being lifted to his feet by Sango and the young monk. They all but carried him over to where Kagome was propped up against the wall, thrashing and shivering.

"Monk?" Kagome whimpered. "Where are you? I'm cold."

"My Lady?" Miroku said as they settled him next to her. "I'm here."

"Where were you?" She asked, her eyes fluttering open and closed. She didn't seem to be truly seeing him, looking past him. "Bath?"

She thought they were back in the cell. "No, never mind. I'm here now." He said reaching out for her.

"Oh, ew," She said wrinkling her nose, the only time he wouldn't say where he was was when he "entertained" himself. "Some monk you are."

"You always think the worst of me." Miroku chuckled weakly as he drew her across his lap, glad the reference went over the rest of the group's head.

"Only because it's true." She said, snuggling under his chin. "I'm cold."

His hands came up automatically to rub her arms and hold her close. "Better?"

"Mmm," She sighed and her head dropped to his chest, her breath puffing on his collarbone.

"What's wrong with her?"

Miroku blinked. He'd forgotten where they were. "I don't know." He said, blinking owlishly at Inuyasha. He was having a lot of trouble focusing on the half-demon, sometimes his vision doubled and there were two of him. "What happened? Is the barrier down?"

"Yes." Sango said, coming over with a blanket. "You took a hard hit when you struck the wall and blacked out. Kagome-chan collapsed once the barrier fell."

"The headman?" Miroku asked, taking the blanket and tucking it around Kagome.

"We've got him." The monk said. "The priests are pretty good with knots." He gestured behind him to a man trussed up on the floor of the room with them.

"I wish I knew why." The bearded priest sighed. "I find this talent disturbing."

Miroku frowned. The man wasn't moving. "Does he live?"

"The hanyo knocked him out." The monk said. "But we think he will wake."

"What's wrong with Kagome?" Inuyasha repeated.

"It's partly the magic we used," The miko said, "I think." She shrank back as Inuyasha turned to face her with a growl. "It wears off! It's like running a high fever, you get confused afterwards until all the power drains out."

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha." Kaede said. "She expended a lot of energy, of course she would be exhausted."

"I think there may be more to it." The younger priest said. "I think Kagome-sama, and perhaps all of us, were connected to this barrier."

The other priest looked over. "Didn't we surmise they were using our power to maintain their barrier before?"

"Yes, but I think we still were connected to it after we left the mountain. Look at this lamp." He held up the shards of a smashed ceramic tallow lamp. "There is a shard in the center of the tallow." He was careful not to touch the tainted black shard. "And it was in the center of this shrine." He pointed to a hat. "That is mine. And that is yours." He pointed to another. "Miroku-sama, can you see anything of yours on this?"

Miroku tried to focus. "I..I cannot see that far." He confessed. "My vision is blurred."

Sango went over to the shrine. "Don't touch anything." The priest warned.

"These. These earrings are his." She said pointing.

"I wear earrings?" Miroku asked. He thumbed at his ear and found the callused holes. "Oh."

"That's mine!" The miko said. "That's my hairbrush!" She looked over the low table jumbled full of objects. "And that, that hair tie belonged to my mistress."

"That scarf is Kagome's." Inuyasha said, pointing a clawed finger to a bit red cloth poking from beneath the pile.

Kaede looked over the pile. "I don't see anything of mine or Kikyo's."

Inuyasha sniffed. "There." He pointed to two white strips of cloth almost hidden beneath the jumble of objects. "One's yours, the other's hers."

"You're sure?" The wide-eyed priest asked. Inuyasha just shot him a look.

"What's it mean?" Sango asked.

"The barrier was tied to this lamp, this shrine." The priest said. "Usually a barrier like this is used to protect a holy object, it doesn't extend past the object itself. It never should have been able to extend to cover this whole room, much less the house or the village." He looked around. "It's usually powered by the _kami_ that possesses the object. I don't sense any holy presence that could power it."

The young monk looked around. "This shrine... it's papered in that same sutra." He tapped one lightly with his finger. "But it doesn't have the same dark energy as the other did."

The miko girl kept her eyes focused on the broken lamp the beardless priest held. "It was the shikon shard that made it possible then?"

"I cannot sense the jewel shards, but the barrier before was not tainted like the one we just encountered." Kaede said. "And here, these are Kagome's shards." She pointed to a small jar nestled in the red fabric of Kagome's scarf. "I believe there to be a shard missing."

"The shards!" Inuyasha said and snatched them up.

The younger priest gasped, "No, don't-!"

"My Lady? My Lady!?" In Miroku's arms Kagome's body had shuddered and gone still. He pressed a hand to her chest, her heart still beat but it was thready and he could barely feel her breath move. Her skin, which had felt hot to the touch moments ago, was suddenly cooling. "My Lady!" He shook her in panic, but her head just lolled to the side. He clutched her tight as if he could fix her by holding her closer.

"What's wrong with-" Inuyasha started to move towards them. But the younger priest grabbed his arm.

"Put them back!" He cried. "You'll kill her! Put them back!"

"What?" Inuyasha looked at the forgotten shards in his hand. He turned back to the shrine and quickly put them back on the scarf.

Kagome took a deep breath and her eyes popped open. "Monk?"

"My Lady?"

"I had a good dream." She said, snuggling back into his arms as if nothing happened. "We were free." She looked up at him, her brow puckering. "You're crying! What's wrong?" She reached up and brushed the tears off his cheek.

"I... I hit my head." Miroku said, touching his own cheek in wonder. When was the last time he'd cried? Had he ever? He didn't even know if he'd cried when his father had been consumed.

"What? Oh no! Did you slip? Why didn't you say anything?" Kagome struggled to sit upright, turning towards him. She ran her hands through his hair, probing at his skull. "Where did you hit? He winced as she found the tender part of his scalp at the back of his head.. "Oh, that doesn't feel good." She probed it carefully. "I don't feel any cracks," she said with a relieved sigh. She sat back on his thigh and put her forehead to his. "Your pupils look funny, are you having problems seeing?"

"No." She frowned at him. "Yes," he confessed. "It's hard to focus on things, and sometimes I see double."

"That sounds like a concussion." She said. "No sleeping! If you sleep, you might not wake up. Promise?"

"I promise." He said.

"Good." She slid back down into his arms, wrapping her arms around him and tucking her head under his chin. She was asleep in minutes.

"What the hell!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kagome started in Miroku's arms, and looked over her shoulder. "Inuyasha." She breathed. She looked around herself, then back at Miroku. "Where are we? What-"

"Later." Miroku said, pressing her back against his chest. He could feel her breath and her heart beat when she was this close. After the scare he'd just had, he needed a little more reassurance that she was living.

"Am I dreaming?" Kagome whispered.

"Something like that." He said. "Just rest now." He ran his fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes and relaxed against him.

"What's going on?" Hissed Inuyasha.

"It's as I guessed." The younger priest said. "These objects connect us to the shrine. The more personal the object, the more we are effected. That is why so many of them come from objects we wear or use every day."

"The sutras must amplify it." The monk nodded. "And I bet there were other sutras painted in the cells, something to feed our holy power to this spot."

"To the lamp." The bearded priest agreed. "When we left, the barrier shrunk because out energy was no longer being properly directed. But we are still connected!"

"As are any others who are in the mountain still." Kaede reminded them.

"Kagome-sama more than others because there are more objects of her's here?" The young miko asked. "Both the scarf and the shards she wore?"

"Because her object is more personal." Kaede said. "The jewel of four souls came from her very body, in some ways it still is a part of her."

"So it's as if they had a limb or an organ." The wide-eyed priest nodded. "And that explains why she is so weak, it would have been drawing more from her."

"But her holy powers hadn't been diminished as ours were." Argued the young monk. "Her holy arrow was so powerful, even before Miko helped her."

Sango shook her head. "Kagome-chan's arrow is usually much brighter. It could light up a whole clearing on it's own, and purify powerful demons."

"She was able to take much more of my power then my mistress ever was," the miko girl said in awe. "Just how powerful is she?"

Miroku tightened his grip on her. "We've yet to see her limit, I'm sure. But that is much less important than finding out how destroy the shrine for good."

"Why did it hurt her when Inuyasha took the shards?" Sango asked.

"I don't know. There is such a mix of powers here." The younger priest said. "The shrine should have become nothing more than wood and objects once the holy object was destroyed."

"So it may be the sutras?" The monk said, peering at the shrine again. "But I don't sense any energy from them now."

Miroku lost track of the conversation, his throbbing head and the girl in his lap distracting him. He buried his face in Kagome's hair and breathed in apples. He rubbed at her back, smiling slightly at the sigh of contentment she gave. Her skin was warming up, he could feel it under the fingers he stroked down her cheek. He fell into a light doze, just barely awake.

He barely noticed when Sango dragged Inuyasha to check on the villagers in the square. His fellow escapees argued and examined things in the headman's room. He lightly kissed her ear. His hands wandered a bit over her curves, not groping but exploring. She muttered a bit in her sleep, and moved a hand that had wandered too far down back to her hip. He smiled against her ear, even in her sleep she frustrated him.

"Um... er... Miroku-sama?"

"Mmm?" Miroku lifted his head and tried to focus his gaze on the monk in front of him. His vision was fuzzy, but improving. He wondered if it was the strike to the head or a tainted sutra that had him so confused.

"We've got it figured out we think." The monk said. "You've got to take your earrings off the shrine. And your Lady must take her scarf and shards."

"Can't you hand them to us?" Miroku asked. He didn't feel much like moving.

"No, remember what happened to My Lady before?" The miko said gently. "Once you take it yourself, the connection is broken for good. It makes you feel better too. It might help My Lady improve."

Miroku nodded. "My Lady," He said stroking her cheek. "It's time to wake up."

"Mmmm..." She protested rubbing her face into his chest. "Do I hafta?"

"Yes," he said, unable to keep his amusement out of his voice. Once she'd become accustomed to sleeping on or around him, she seemed to completely forget that he was a person and a male. Instead she treated him like a large cushion. He wasn't about to protest as it meant that she would rub, press, and cuddle against him shamelessly. "Come now, up." She arched her back, pressing her body against him as she stretched. Of course, he mused, he wouldn't mind if she did treat him as a man now and again. Then he could treat her as a woman and rub, press and do a lot more than cuddle.

She sighed and pulled back, sitting up and finally opening her eyes. "Oh!" She looked around them and blushed furiously. "What happened?"

"You had a bit of a shock to your spirit." The young monk said, blushing. "Do you remember breaking the barrier?"

"Yes." Miroku frowned as she slid off his lap and out of his arms. She accepted the miko's helping hand up. "But, only up to when Miroku took the sutra off- Oh!" She turned back to look at him. "Are you alright? I saw you go flying!" She reached down to help him get up.

"I'm fine, though you told me you think I have a ... concussion?" He said, accepting her hand but careful not to put too much weight on her. "And my vision is a bit unstable at the moment."

"But now," the bearded priest said. "We have figured out how to break the hold this shrine has on us."

"How?" Kagome asked , looking at it and clutching tight at Miroku's hand.

"Take the items belonging to you off the shrine." The younger priest said. "The hanyo said this is yours, and the shards as well."

"Your earrings are here." The monk said to Miroku.

"You will experience a sensation of euphoria." The younger priest warned as Kagome reached out for her scarf. "With the shards it might be particularly strong."

"Euphoria?" Kagome asked, hesitating.

"Ooh. Mmm."

Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat. Miroku's voice had gone deep and rumbly. She felt that strange coiling feeling in her stomach and her knees went weak. She looked over at him, blushing and remembering. He caught her look and grinned, boyish and dangerous. He was obviously feeling better.

His eyes twinkled as he put the hoops he'd picked up back through his ears. "Euphoria is an understatement." He bent over her and said, "If it is as powerful as I think it might be, you might want some privacy when you take the shards." She felt his breath on the shell of her ear and his voice deepened another notch as he whispered, "But I want to watch."

"You..." She started, not even sure what she was going to say. Whatever it was she forgot it when she turned to look at him, lost in an intense violet gaze.

"Me." He agreed. His eyelids drooped a little and he nuzzled at her neck. "Take your scarf, you'll see what I mean, " he rumbled, his hands reaching to circle her waist.

She looked around at Kaede and the others. "Um," she said blushing. "Is... is this normal? EEP! _Hands!_" She pried one of Miroku's hands off from where it had inched up to her breast, and the other off her thigh and batted him back.

Blushing furiously, the miko nodded. "We... we all felt something, to various degrees."

"Perhaps you _would_ like to be alone while you take the shards." The bearded priest said not even able to look at her. He ushered his fellow priest towards the door. The miko and monk hurried to follow, dragging the unconscious headman. "Kaede-sama?"

Kaede gave Miroku a long look. "Perhaps we should take this one with us as well."

"No," Miroku said. "I'll stay with My Lady, just in case." His grin was wicked, but his eyes were serious. "When Inuyasha took the shards it came close to killing her. She shouldn't be alone. And at this point," he looked at a flushed and confused Kagome, "we have very few secrets from one another. Right, My Lady?"

"R-right." Kagome could feel her skin burning, and she was so embarrassed she thought she could just die. But Miroku had seen her at her worst while they were in cave and, despite his random acts of lewdness, she trusted him and he made her feel safe.

"We will be right outside the door." Kaede sighed and stumped out, sliding the door behind her.

"Take the scarf first," Miroku rumbled, standing behind her and laying his hands on her shoulders.

When he used that tone of voice Kagome couldn't help but feel small next to him, and suddenly aware that he was an experienced adult man. The _man_ part of him was especially disturbing. She shivered and looked at the scarf. "D-don't be weird."

Miroku massaged her tense shoulders and didn't reply, waiting for her to act.

She took a deep breath and pulled the red slip of cloth out of the pile. "Oh!" She said, arching a little and sucking in air. It felt like a hot rush of wind flowing through the inside of herself. It was soothing and exciting at the same time. She went pink as she felt her nipples tighten and that secret coil unwind, a slickness starting to form between her legs. She shivered and embarrassed herself by moaning.

Miroku leaned in and kissed her neck. It was a hot brand against her skin. The rough cloth of her yukata felt like a caress against the whole of her but concentrated in two bright spots of arousal poking out of her chest. His strong arm looped around her waist holding her up as her knees buckled. She fell back against his chest and all she could feel was corded muscle. Her body felt weak, but she felt like she was zinging with a strange nervous energy. It made her want to squirm.

His hand slid up to do more than support, fondling an erect nipple though the cloth and it felt _so good _all she could do was pant and clutch at her scarf like a flag of surrender.

"Oh, My Lady," Miroku sounded inexplicably pleased, "If _that_ was your reaction to the scarf I cannot wait to see your reaction to the shards."

Kagome turned her head to the side, her forehead pressing into his arm. "S-stop it." She pressed at his wrist, trying to halt those teasing fingers. "Don't make fun." She shifted her legs, shamed to feel the dampness continuing to spread.

He pinched the nipple making her gasp. "I'm not." He sounded surprised. "That was a thing of beauty. Your skin turned such a lovely hue, and that moan-" His other hand splayed across her stomach and he gently curled his fingers dragging his nails across the fabric. Her skin was so sensitive that felt like his nails were tickling across her flesh with no barrier in between.

His fingers found the knot of the tie about her waist and with a flick it was open. "I want to hear it again." He stroked at the smooth skin of her stomach and she could feel cool beads rolling across her skin in an oddly sensual caress.

Kagome moaned and finally gave into her urge to squirm.

"Just like that." Miroku said approvingly.

"M-monk." She stuttered. "Stop _Please_."

His hands stilled. "What is distressing you, My Lady?" He nuzzled at her. "Doesn't it feel good? Your reactions are so strong. We both know what will happen when you take the shards, I want you to enjoy it."

"What's going to happen?" Kagome asked, craning to look at him. She'd never felt anything like this, and everyone kept saying that it was going to be _worse_ with the shards. She already felt like she was falling apart. Would she shatter when she took them?

Miroku stopped his nuzzling, his bushy brows coming together. Could she really be that innocent? He knew that she'd never been kissed, and by extension that she must be a virgin. But surely..."My Lady..." He said, his voice tinged with wonder. "Have you never... "entertained" yourself?" Surely she'd been curious, surely she'd explored...

"What?!" She fought against him, pushing herself away and almost falling into the shrine. "Of course not!" She clutched her scarf to her chest and tried to pull herself together. "Why would you even _ask_ that-" She gasped and looked at the shards in horror. "You mean-"

He held up his hands soothingly. No wonder she was so scared. "Don't worry, My Lady."

"Don't worry?!" She shrieked. "You're telling me I'm going to-" She looked at the shards. "Because of-" Tears started to pour down her cheeks. "That's not fair!" Forgetting that her yukata was hanging open she stomped her foot and flew at him, beating her hands against his chest. "It's not fair! They took everything! My memories, my friends, my freedom, and now _this?_ I wanted my first time to be because I was loved and-" She collapsed against him, crying into the vee of his yutaka. "It's not _fair._"

Miroku wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she cried. "No, it's not fair." He said, rubbing at her back in soothing circles. "But they did not take everything." He tipped her head up to look at him and gently kissed her, a quick chaste peck on the lips. "They did not take me. I am here My Lady, and I am your friend. I will be here for you."

She searched his face, her eyes full of doubt. "You're not just saying that?"

How could such an innocent girl be so suspicious, he wondered. He brushed her cheek, wiping off the tears. "Do you doubt my friendship?" Had he been the only one to think of them as such?

"What? No!" She said quickly, her hands fisting in his yukata. "I know you're my friend." She looked away from him. "I _know_ it."

"Then what is it you doubt?" Miroku said. "As long as you need me I will be here for you, My Lady."

Kagome sniffled and rested her head against his chest. "Really?"

"Yes."

"You're not just saying that because you want to see me..." she looked away, "_You know." _

"I do want to see it." Miroku said and grinned when she looked up at him with a thunderous expression. "Would you rather I lie? I want to see you moan, squirm, gasp and, " His voice deepened and he winked, "_you know._" He caressed her cheek again. "But I want you to see you enjoy it. It might not be the love you wanted to share this with, but allow me this as your friend. Let me help you with this." He grinned, "And this is not your "first time," not truly. That is a gift you will still bestow with the man you love." He closed his eyes and looked pious, "Though if you should need my help with that matter I would be pleased to oblige."

She sighed, some of her fear releasing. "You're _soooo_ self-sacrificing. What did I do to deserve a friend like you?"

"Perhaps you did something very good in a previous life." Miroku chuckled. It was the wrong thing to say he realized as her whole body tensed. "My Lady?"

She turned away from him, but leaned her back against him. "Never mind." She said, her body rigid and tight. "Let's just do this." She took his hands and wrapped them around her waist.

"No." Miroku said, catching her hand before it could grab the shards. He glanced at the door. If he was really her friend he'd go get Inuyasha. She wanted to share herself only with the man she loved, and she was so overwrought right now she didn't even realize it was possible.

But if he brought Inuyasha here that confused boy wouldn't be able to make this pleasant for her. They'd both be embarrassed, tense and uncomfortable as only virgins could be, and it would be just another awful thing that happened to her in the Twin Mountain village. Besides that, he wanted her. He'd never have her, not the way he wanted to. Not the way he almost had and stopped in that dark night. He did want to see her moan, squirm, gasp and arch underneath him. They could both get something good out of this.

He stepped away from her, giving her a quick pat on the rear and gave her a grin when she gasped in shock. "Wait here, My Lady." He padded over to the door and slid it open just wide enough to pop his head through.

The priests stood conversing with the monk and miko and Miroku could hear them playing the "I think" game. He wondered briefly what they were discovering about themselves before Kaede noticed him. Her wordless stare that attracted the others' attention.

"Miroku-sama? Is My Lady well?" The little miko was developing a crush on him, he could tell. One with a strong dash of hero worship. In a year or two she'd be a breathtaking beauty and he hoped she remembered where she lived before they parted ways so he could find her again.

"She found taking her scarf to be a powerful experience and needs to prepare herself to take the shards." Miroku said. "It would be best if we were undisturbed. My Lady is untrained and easily distracted."

The priests exchanged glances, Miroku suspected they were a bit more worldly then priests usually were. The bearded one spoke, "Perhaps we should move to the end of the hall. Kagome-sama wouldn't be able to hear us from there."

Miroku nodded. "That would be best." Kagome wouldn't be able to hear them, and hopefully they wouldn't be able to hear Kagome. They'd always suspect, but it was different from knowing. He smiled at Kaede, and she just shook her head and followed the pack.

He slid the door shut and turned. Kagome was standing in the middle of the room holding her yukata closed, a peek of red slipping out of her hand where she still clutched her scarf. He wished he'd known how innocent she was before she'd taken it. Then she wouldn't be standing there staring at him like a lamb presented to a wolf.

He held his hands out from his body as he approached her. "Are you afraid of me, My Lady?"

She straightened and a spark of anger lit in her eyes. "No!"

"Good." He said and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Because its just you and I again." He rested his forehead against hers. "We'll do this together."

She shuddered, accepting that it was inevitable. "I don't want to," she said. She wasn't placing blame, but pleading for him to find another way.

"You must." Miroku said and slowly slid his hands down over her shoulders and down her arms. He pulled her hands away from her yukata and brought them to his chest. "You'll never be free otherwise." He took a long look down her body, peeking through the gap of her yukata. "I won't lie and say I won't enjoy it." He grinned when she glared at him. A blush started to spread from her face down her neck to the rest of her. He loved that full body flush. "But I'll make sure you will as well."

"Gee, thanks." She muttered, but she wasn't afraid anymore. She sagged into him, resting her forehead against his collarbone.

"You're welcome." He said, and moved his hands from hers to her waist. He slid them up her sides, and then forward, brushing the yukata open further, stopping just under her breasts. "And thank you as well." His thumbs brushed lightly under her nipples and they tightened just at the suggestion of touch. She was still hyper sensitive from the scarf, he wished his own reaction had been as strong. "Let's move close to the shrine..." She started to turn, but he drew her close and then lifted her bridal style. It pressed her against him, and she squirmed a the feeling of his rough yukata against her bare skin.

He sat them next to the shrine, placing her between his legs and her back propped up against his chest. "Can you reach the shards from here?" He asked.

She swallowed and looked to the side at the low shrine. She glanced at him and took a moment to tie her yukata shut. "Hands to yourself, Monk." She took a deep breath and reached out and put a finger on the little jar. Her lips parted and her flush renewed. "Oh." She arched and squirmed in his lap, closing her eyes. She quickly broke the connection.

"What did you feel?" He asked curiously. He idly ran a hand up her arm and even that slight touch had her moving against him.

Kagome looked up, utterly confused and embarrassed. "It felt like a bolt of electricity, like lightening." She shivered and looked disturbed. "I didn't like it." She felt like she had when she'd taken the scarf, like something was moving inside of her and filling her with prickling anticipation.

"Your body says differently." He chuckled and she moaned as he slid his beads against the skin of her arm, making the little hairs stand on end. "I can feel your heart race." He wondered if she even realized that she was gently rocking against him. He gently curled his fingers under her breast, just barely brushing the nipple through the cloth. She drew her legs up and gasped. "And I can tell that feels good."

"I'm scared." She confessed, but couldn't keep from arching under his touch. She put a hand over his on her breast, keeping it from moving but not removing it. "I want this to be over. Don't draw it out."

"Do you really?" He asked and wiggled his fingers under her hand. It made the cloth slide back and forth over her skin. Her hips jerked and her face was crimson. "I would enjoy it to the fullest."

"Unh." Kagome grunted, prying his hands away and moving them to a safer position around her waist, "Of course you would, you're a pervert."

"And you aren't." He sighed. "How pitiful then that our roles aren't reversed." He wanted to keep her in his arms, wriggling and needy. He wanted to hear her moan and feel that delicious rocking motion as her rear wiggled against him. He _wanted_ to divest her of her yukata, lay her flat, and cover her body with his. But while the shrine and the shards might make her body ready, she wasn't. She wasn't the type for idle pleasure. She wouldn't be ready until there was love.

_Dammit,_ he thought.

"Take the shards," he said, "and it will be over." His last opportunity gone.

She took a deep breath. She settled more firmly back against him, once again treating him like furniture. At prick at his pride, he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, buried his nose into her hair and blew lightly against her ear.

"What are you waiting for, My Lady?"

She shivered, feeling the caress of air against her ear all the way down to her toes. "I'm going to do it."

He chuckled, disbelieving, and she squirmed at the deep rumble she could _feel_ through her back. She found herself wondering what it would feel like if he'd bring his hands up to her chest or down to where she was hot and moist. What it would be like to turn around and press herself against him as he laughed so she could feel that rumble through all of her?

"D-don't... don't laugh." She said breathlessly. Every breath she took was rubbing her raw against her yukata. She felt like she'd never been so aware of her breasts in her life. Her knees gently rubbed together. The anticipation of what she'd feel when the touched the shards again, that lighting bolt feeling, was filling her with that strange languid excitement and dread.

She was shivering, rocking and fidgeting in his arms and it was driving him mad. "Take the shards." He may be a monk, and he might have honor. But he was a _man_ first, and she was soon going to feel his reaction to all this stimulation if she didn't end this. "Take the shards _now._"

Kagome reached out and wrapped her hand around the little jar. Her eyes rolled back, and her head banged against his shoulder as she flung herself back against him. She arched and her fingers dug into his wrist as she gave a shout. Her legs kicked out and her toes curled under. Her arm was out rigidly, like she was being electrocuted and she didn't seem to be able to lift the shards off the shrine.

"_Oh, oh, oh, oh,_" she chanted as she rocked back against him, her chest puffed out like she was begging to be rubbed against. She kept drawing up her legs and straightening them, as if she was trying to thrust herself away. But she couldn't get enough to purchase against the ground to get leverage.

The reaction was so strong that Miroku, who thought he'd been prepared, was shocked into immobility. "My Lady?!" He brought his arms under her armpits to hold her more securely.

She twisted in his hold and pressed herself against him. Her hand on the jar didn't move. It was like she was sealed to it and the jar to the shrine. She wrapped her free arm around his neck ground against him to the rhythm of her cries.

"_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,_" she gasped. "M-m-monk it won't stop, _oh!" _She writhed back so that she was facing the shrine and her hips humped the air. "_Oh, oh, oh, oh!"_ Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes went wide. "OH!"

Miroku felt her go rigid and knew that she'd experienced _that_ for the first time. And if he didn't do something she'd go on experiencing it, which was nice in theory but didn't look too pleasant in practice. "Remove the shards." He said, holding her tight.

"I _can't_." She panted, still holding onto the shards. "I can't get my arm to m-mo-_oh-_ve." Her face crumpled up, "It _hurts_."

Miroku reached out with his holy powers, trying to feel out what was going on and why it was so different from his earrings or her scarf. He sucked in a breath. The shrine was feeding holy power into her, like she was a vessel. He reached out and wrapped his hand over hers on the jar and got his legs under him. He pushed back, thrusting them roughly over the tatami mats and dragging her and the shards away from the shrine.

She went limp in his arms.

"My Lady?" Miroku said laying her flat, stretching out next to her and patting her face. She was breathing, heavily, he could see that. And her skin seemed normal, if a bit clammy with sweat. But she didn't answer him, and she didn't open her eyes. "My Lady!" He said urgently. She didn't have the same feeling as someone who was truly sleeping or passed out.

She cracked open her eyes. Her brow wrinkled and she searched his face. "I didn't like that," she whispered. "I didn't enjoy it at all."

"I'm sorry." Miroku said honestly. "I took the shrine too lightly."

"If it's like _that_," Kagome said. "I never want to do _that_ again."

Miroku gave a relieved chuckle. "Don't be rash," he said stroking her face. "It usually isn't like _that_."

"Really?" Kagome asked, stopping his hand and pulling it away from her but keeping hold of it. She looked away, ruefully. Her breathing was slowing, and there didn't seem to be any further reaction generated from the shards. "I guess _you_ would know."

"I could show you." He said, shifting so that his body pressed against hers and drawing his free hand up her leg and lightly squeezing her rear.

She gasped and pushed him back. "Oh, I can't- Of all the – Oh, _you!_"

"Me." He agreed, happy to see that despite the debacle with the shrine their relationship had not changed and she showed no fear of him. "We should get back to the others."

She hesitated. "Could... maybe... could we just wait a few minutes?" She said, cheeks burning. "I don't want to see Inuyasha just yet. It would be too embarrassing."

Miroku nodded, ignoring the slight annoyance that the woman with him was thinking of another man. It was to be expected after all. But he drew her into a loose embrace, telling him that it was because she looked cold.

::0::0::

I'm not sure about this chapter, I re-worked it a couple of times. But even though I know it's not it seems a bit gratuitous. Next chapter gives a few more answers.

I want to give a thank you to my reviewers so far. I might not have many, but I think the quality makes up for it.


	8. The Hows

"So," Miroku said, looking out over the crowd of terrified villagers before turning back to the headman. "Your shrine has been destroyed."

The old man wailed. "We are doomed! You have killed us all!" There was a sympathetic moan from the villagers.

The crowd of holy people, a rag tag group of monks, mikos, healers, exorcists and priests, looked back at them impassively from the porch of the headman's house. After freeing themselves from the shrine, and giving Kagome time to recover, Miroku and his fellow escapees had gone to search out the mountain to see what other survivors they might find. It had been horrible, for every person they found alive they found four times the amount who were not.

They'd found their belongings in a chamber in the mountain. It had gone a long way to spur the memories of many to have their things returned to them. Almost all had insisted on changing immediately. Kagome and Miroku had refrained, though he wanted to see her in the funny little garments she had picked out as her own. They hardly looked like they would cover her. He cursed his memory, it was being impossibly slow in returning. His one concession was to take hold of his staff again, it's solid weight and jangle soothing. Miroku rapped the butt of it down on a flagstone.

"And you have doomed how many to die in your mountain!?" He bellowed shaking his staff. "And for what?" He pointed his staff at the headman. "What was so important to protect here that you stole all of us away from our lives?"

The headman looked away, stubbornly refusing to answer.

"Why are there no young men here?" Kagome asked, her voice firm and clear. She left Inuyasha's side and laid a calming hand on Miroku's arm. He started and looked at the crowd. Among the huddled masses there were gray-beards and children, but many of the people he'd assumed to be young men were women in men's clothing. "Where are the monks that used to be here?" She asked.

"Gone!" Wailed a teenaged girl from the crowd. "Master Shinryu was the last and he died five years ago. The others left, people kept coming here for help and they'd leave and they didn't come back!"

"Shut up!" A burly woman said, cuffing the younger woman. "If it weren't for you we'd still be safe! My children will die because of you!"

"Inuyasha." Miroku said. "Bring that girl up here."

"I don't take orders-" Inuyasha started.

Kagome looked at him, "Please, Inuyasha?"

He cursed and lept down, grabbed the young woman. She shrieked and fought, but he ignored the blows as if they were nothing and dumped her at Kagome and Miroku's feet.

Kagome started to go to her, to help her to her feet but Miroku blocked her. "Explain."

She looked away sullenly. She had bruises on her face and arms, all fresh. She looked up at Miroku in hatred and betrayal. "You said you'd stay! You said if something changed you'd stay and do whatever we said!" Her nails dug into her knees. "You promised! I brought you the demon pet and you left! You promised!"

"What?" Kagome looked between her and Miroku. "What promise?"

Miroku paled, remembering his promises and curses in the dark as he held Kagome in the dark. "My Lady was dying, being eaten alive by the mountain." He said to the girl. "Of course I would promise anything to save her! You cannot hold me to a promise made under duress, in desperation!"

"But you _promised!_" The girl wailed. "No one else had lasted as long as you two, and she was getting better. With her we could protect the whole town! I did what I could! I brought her lentils and rice when she wouldn't eat the fruit. I even brought her my special strawberry soaps to make her happy."

"Why did you bring Shippo?" Kagome asked, stepping past Miroku and kneeling next to her.

The girl wiped her tears, her movements brisk and stilted. "We caught him with the old miko and the strange miko." She said and Kagome guessed that she meant Kaede and Kikyo. "But I thought that maybe if you had someone to care for the way he did," she looked up at Miroku. "That you would get better and we'd be able to protect the village." She glared at Miroku. "But you left!" Her face crumpled up and she clutched at her hair. "And you destroyed the shrine...we're all going to die!"

"Who's going to kill you?" Kagome said, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"The demons!" The girl wailed. "They won't stop coming! Ever since Master Shinryu died!"

"What demons?" Inuyasha asked. "I haven't sniffed out anyone close by, only old stuff."

"Demons of every stripe, and men too, who can be worse." The headman said. "They come for the monks' knowledge." He snorted bitterly. "Never mind that the monks have been gone for years. They come in waves and waves. When Master Shinryu still lived he built the shrine and kept to the mountain, and none could enter that he didn't wish, and we constructed the wall to keep out the humans. But then he died." The headman looked haunted. "And the demons started coming. Sometimes there would be nearly a month between attacks, but more often it was weeks or only days."

Slowly the story came out. The constant attacks had killed off all their defenders, all their young men gone to graves or worse. The women were left to tend the village, and try to protect themselves as much as possible with the help of the aged, infirm and children.

The first capture had been a mistake. A monk had come their way seeking knowledge and had been welcomed warmly. Perhaps they could convince him to stay and help protect them. The had fed him, and let him into the library of scrolls in the mountain. As a gesture of honor they'd given him Master Shinryu's chamber for the night.

The shrine had flared to life. A barrier had covered the hallway of the shrine, weaker then Shinryu's had been but enough so that when demons attacked that night they had a bolt hole. The children and infirm had hidden there while the demon, a low level youkai found the monk and killed him thinking him to be the last of the Twin Mountain monks. The barrier had winked out an hour or two after his death, but it had served it's purpose the demon was gone by then.

They'd stripped the old master's chamber and found the sutras he'd used to direct his holy powers into the shrine and the barrier. If one monk had been able to protect a hallway, what if they filled the chambers of the monastery? Shinryu had been a genius, and was responsible for many of the wonders in the mountain. He'd created, with the help of some Shinto priests who'd studied there, the chambers that lit with artificial light meant for study and contemplation. He'd made the smoking incense that made people sleep as a way to calm and open the mind. He'd used the suggestive properties to help teach the monks under him, leading them through meditation techniques that became a part of their psyche after one session. Why it caused memory lapses now was due to the dosage, Shinryu had used it sparingly and only as incense. And it hadn't been an illusion that time passed quicker in those chambers. During a plague in his middle years he'd found a way to warp time, it gave the monks time to prepare a cure before it had progressed too far.

It had been accidental that that time warp effect had been passed on to the chambers where they held the people they captured. The villagers had copied by rote all the sutras they'd found in his chamber to the other rooms in the monastery. Now every chamber would direct any holy power to the shrine, winked on and off with light, and warped time. They were afraid to experiment with the sutras too much, afraid that if they removed one it might make the shrine inert. At first they tried to convince the mikos, priests and monks who came to their village to stay of their own volition. The lure of studying Shinryu and all Blue Mountain monks's research and learning was a powerful draw, but not

enough to keep them there after the continual demon attacks. Those who survived the attacks weren't willing to stay, and most didn't survive.

So, in desperation, they turned to kidnapping. They used the smoke, and locked them in chambers. When they found that the calmer their captives were the more power would be fed to the shrine they'd decided to try using the animal calming sutras the monks had given them to paper their animal pens with. They copied them by rote and sewed them into futons and later weaved them into the robes they made for their captives.

To the credit of the villagers, most of them didn't _know_ that the mountain was killing their prisoners. The headman, a small council of villagers, and a few servants were the only ones who entered. They didn't remove the bodies from the mountain. The villagers thought the holy people slowly lost their holy power and they needed new ones to help supplement the shrine. When they'd dumped bodies over the wall during Inuyasha's attack they really thought he had killed them. In truth, the headman had merely pulled some of the bodies from the mountain in a last ditch bluff to fend him off.

Miroku gazed impassively over the village, meeting eyes here and there. Many were horror-stricken, they'd really never suspected what they were doing was killing people. But many looked guilty and sickened. They hadn't known, he realized, but they suspected. Perhaps they noticed the amount of food wasn't enough for the amount of captives. Or they wondered why they continued to keep prisoners who couldn't power their barrier. Now it was confirmed and they would have to live with that.

The true horror in his mind that all the current captives had been caught after Kagome and he had fallen victim to their trap. None of the people they'd captured before had survived the three months of siege. Kagome's power had made them greedy. The instant they'd put her in one of the chambers (before even Miroku had been sent to join her) the barrier had flared to cover the entire village. They'd sent their villagers out to the neighboring towns and countryside, burnt their incense or tossed the smoke bombs, and captured everyone they could find. The headman knew Kagome couldn't last forever, but planned to use the time she bought them to build up enough monks, priests and mikos to maintain the powerful barrier she'd created. With the barrier protecting the whole village and the fence they were nigh invulnerable.

They hadn't counted on Sango and Inuyasha's persistence or the accidental remembrance of Miroku's wind tunnel. They hadn't counted on one of their servant girls feeling pity for Kagome or a fox demon child slated to die.

"So what now?" Inuyasha asked. "We just can't sit here lookin' at 'em forever."

"We can't just leave!" Kagome said. "They'll just do it again."

"Use the smoke."

Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango turned to look at the woman exorcist who stepped forward. Her age was impossible to determine. Her face was smooth and unlined, her height was average. Her pixie cut hair was youthful in style but peppered with white. "Make them forget what they know of the shrine, the sutras and how to make the smoke. Give them commands never to detain an undeserving person again. Use their tools against them."

"What are you saying?" The headman fought his way to his feet. "We'll forget everything!"

"As did we." The exorcist said. "You at least will wake to find yourself in familiar surroundings. Your memories will not be hidden away from you."

"Will you leave us defenseless? How will we protect ourselves from the demon hordes?!"

"Miroku-sama." Miroku turned from the scene before him to see the little miko. Once she had his attention she crossed her hands and continued, deferential and polite. "Miroku-sama, My Lady is exhausted. She doesn't need to be here for this." The little miko might have an infatuation building with Miroku, but she was also developing something of a hero worship for Kagome. Ever since they'd brought the rest of the captives out of the mountain she'd been shadowing Kagome like a servant, as if to mark her place.

Kagome jumped a little. "No, I'm fine." She insisted, but she looked drawn and sick. She'd been up shortly after dawn with the rest of them, and it was approaching dusk now. She hadn't been awake this many successive hours in months. The hollows under her eyes were pronounced and she almost looked like she had two black eyes. She brushed a hair out of her eyes and Miroku was struck by how pronounced her wrist bones were. She hadn't eaten since breakfast either. Besides that, she'd expended an enormous amount of energy in breaking the barrier, and separating herself from the shrine. He wondered how she was standing at all.

He glanced at their new charges, counting the priests, miko and monk who had made their original flight to freedom they had close to twenty-five people to take care of. He doubted any of them had eaten since last night in "real time," which would have been almost two days for them. Plus there was the dead to think of, nearly a hundred to bury.

"Inuyasha." He said, interrupting his conversation with Sango and the exorcist. "I think for the night we can move the villagers into the mountain. It will be the easiest way to secure them."

The exorcist grinned at this. "Yes, let them have a taste of what we lived."

Kaede, who had been a silent observer all along, put up a warning hand. "Only in the empty chambers. The dead can wait for morning for their final rest. We still hope to discover something of their pasts."

"My Lady-" Miroku started and Kagome frowned at his tone of voice. It was the tone he used when he was trying to "manage" her.

"I'm not tired!"

"Kagome-chan," Sango said firmly. "You sound like Shippo when he doesn't want to go to bed."

Kagome had the grace to blush, but it was a disturbing sight. She was so paper white with exhaustion that it only produced two bright streaks on her cheeks. "But there is so much to do."

"You don't have to supervise everything." Miroku said, leaning on his staff in a relaxed slouch. "Or rather, you don't have to supervise this. The others have not eaten, and I think for safety's sake they should bed with us in the cave."

She blinked. "It looks good to see you like that," she said softly, and then sighed. "Okay, I'll go back with the others and try to get everyone fed."

"You'll eat first, My Lady." The little miko said, putting her hands on her hips. "You're nothing but skin and bones and Miroku-sama will never forgive me if you collapse halfway through dinner."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Are you coming too?" She asked Miroku.

He looked at the crowd of villagers, Inuyasha and the headman. "I think I may stay here for a while." If they were to do this quietly they would need his diplomacy. "But I will join you before you finish eating." He lied.

"I'll come with you, Kagome-chan." Sango said. "We'll need to see what we have to feed everyone, and I want our reserves to switch out with the men here. We might need to take some supplies from the village too."

"Oh good." Kagome said. "I don't know where anything is."

Sango ushered Kagome and the others on Hachi's back. Before she left Kaede leveled Miroku with a steady gaze. "Your advice applies to not only to Kagome. Not everything must be overseen by you either."

"Please make sure that My Lady eats." Miroku replied. "When she gets tired her appetite tends to disappear and she will often set her food aside and forget it."

Kaede sighed and stepped onto Hachi's back.

"Um... don't move around too much." Hachi said as he rose slowly and unsteadily into the air. "I've never carried this many people at once."

::0::0::

"Miroku-sama!" The young monk bounded over from his spot by the fire. "Have you eaten yet?" He was grinning and could barely contain himself.

Sliding off of Kirara after Sango, Miroku quirked an eyebrow at the monk. "Not yet-"

"_MynameisTaro!_" He burst.

"What?" Miroku asked, unable to decipher the babble.

"Taro!" The monk repeated. "My name is Taro!"

Miroku smiled and gave him a little bow. "It's nice to meet you, Taro."

The little miko ran up, her face wreathed in smiles. "Did he tell you? Can you believe it? Kagome-sama finally guessed it!"

"It's most excellent news!" Miroku agreed. "Did Kagome eat?"

"Yes!" The miko said, sounding satisfied and accomplished. She held up two fingers, "Two bowls of porridge and some fish."

"We saved you some fish, and there is stew." Taro said. He looked over his shoulder and called, "Miroku-sama hasn't eaten yet." Another young monk jumped up to grab up a bowl and a roasted fish on a spear. "Thank you, Monk."

"Yes, Taro-san." The monk, who was no more than a boy and probably had been lured away from an apprenticeship somewhere, handed the food to Taro. The monk bobbed a bow to him and gave Miroku and Sango a wide-eyed look before scurrying back to his seat.

"Sango has also not eaten." Miroku reminded gently as he accepted the food from Taro.

"Oh!" The miko gasped covering her mouth. "I'll put something together right away!"

Miroku looked at Sango. "Would you like the stew? I'll eat the fish while we wait."

"Actually," Sango looked uncomfortable, "I planned to eat with my men tonight. But thank you." She said to the miko before remounting Kirara.

"Is something the matter?" Miroku asked, stepping closer.

"Now that we have freed you, I fear the men will want to return to their farms. I want to make sure of how many men I have left to guard against the villagers while we remain here. And many were disturbed by what we saw today. I heard murmurs that they fear they will be cursed by the spirits of the dead." Sango said.

"You may assure them that we will settle the spirits of our fallen comrades. If they wish, I and my fellow monks would happy to make charms for them."

"That will go a long way to calming them." Sango nodded. "I wish I had more to reward them with, we've taken them away from their farms at a bad time."

"I will think on it." Miroku promised. "I do not want to keep you from your meal." He looked longingly at the bowl of stew warming his hands. It was full dark now and he was starving.

Sango gave him a sardonic look. "Nor I from yours, Houshi-sama."

"Miroku-sama." The little miko distracted him from watching Sango fly off. He liked her slayer garb. It left so little to the imagination. The little miko tugged at his sleeve. "Miroku-sama, your Lady is this way."

Munching on his fish and juggling his staff and stew bowl awkwardly he followed her to Kagome. He nodded to the captives who parted before him. Kagome and he had been the first ones through the cell doors for most of them and so far most seemed to feel a deferential awe towards them. Whispers followed him and he wondered at the gossip that seemed to be floating behind him. He heard snatches about barriers and tainted sutras and suspected their rather dramatic capture of the headman had been embellished a bit by the storytellers.

He chuckled as Kagome came into sight. She was set up like a princess, swathed in blankets and propped up with cushions. He'd seen Hachi raiding some of the houses for supplies, but it looked like she had the lion's share. She was sitting up, but her head was lolling in a most undignified manner and she was snoring.

At her feet Shippo sat using color sticks, a pile of dog-eared papers at his side. As he watched Shippo's tail twitched, brushing against the foot she had poking out of the blankets. His shoulders tensed and relaxed at the confirmation that Kagome was still there and he resumed drawing with renewed vigor.

"Good evening, Shippo," Miroku said. "May I sit with you?" The kit would have to move over if he was going to sit next to her.

"Miroku!" Shippo jumped up. "I'm drawing pictures for Kagome, wanna see?"

"Miroku-sama hasn't eaten yet, and is tired," the little miko scolded, and the little kit drooped in disappointment. "He doesn't have time-"

"Of course Shippo." Miroku interrupted smoothly. "I would be honored to see your drawings. However, I'm afraid my fingers will be soiled with food and I wouldn't want to mar them before My Lady has a chance to see them."

Shooting the miko a triumphant look Shippo proudly squared his shoulders. "I can hold them up!" He moved his current drawing onto the top of the pile. "I've been doing lots of drawings for Kagome so she would know I didn't forget her."

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled." Miroku said, settling in next to Kagome. He looked up at the miko and Taro. "I need a few moments to collect myself and rest. I'll let you and the others know what transpired later."

"Yes, Miroku-sama." Taro said, tugging at the miko's sleeve. "We'll make sure everyone knows not to disturb you."

"But-" the miko started then sighed. She shot Shippo an annoyed look and turned. "Of course, Miroku-sama."

"That girl is so annoying!" Shippo said, his inflection almost a perfect match for Kagome's when she was upset. "I wanted to sit on Kagome's lap and she wouldn't let me!"

"And Kagome agreed to that?" Miroku couldn't imagine it.

"She was already asleep." Shippo pouted. "I wouldn'ta woken her up. She never did before."

"Well, My Lady had a very rough day." Miroku said. "But come here," He patted the spot between him and Kagome, "and show me what you drew."

Shippo scrambled to settle himself between the two of them. He squirmed to get himself comfortable, seeming happy to squeeze in. "I knew Kagome would want to know everything that happened while she was gone." He said shuffling through his papers. "Here's where Sango and Inuyasha were yelling at those jerks to give you back." He held up a picture of Sango flying in the air on Kirara's back and Inuyasha with his transformed blade.

"Why is Sango a cat?" Miroku asked after admiring how well Shippo had drawn Inuyasha's sword and the rather demonic looking villagers on the top of the wall.

"Well, Inuyasha is a dog, and I'm a fox," Shippo said sorting through his pictures. "And I've always drawn Kagome as a cat." He held up a picture. "This is what Kagome and I are going to do now that she's back." A kitty Kagome was chasing Shippo through a field of flowers and candy. "So since Sango is a human like Kagome I thought I should draw her as cat too. And you!" He pulled out another and a black cat-person with a little ponytail and a glove was sucking up what looked like firewood and stick figures through a vortex of his hand.

"What am I doing there?" Miroku asked, his eyes twinkling.

"You're sucking up that stupid fence and all the villagers." Shippo said glaring at it.

Miroku shifted uncomfortably. "Shippo, you know I wouldn't do that."

"But you _should._" Shippo bared his teeth and his little claws poked through the edges of the paper. "They took Kagome! They made her all skinny and sick and sleepy. I hope they all _die!_ They took her away from me!" He dropped the drawings and scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeves. "I th-thought she wasn't ever coming baaaaacck!" He wailed.

"Shippo?" Kagome blinked sleepily. "What's the matter?" She opened her arms and he lept up and cried into her chest. "Shhh...Shhh..." She said soothingly as she rubbed his back. She looked at Miroku. "What happened?" She mouthed.

"The child is overtired." Kaede said, coming over with a second bowl of stew for Miroku. He handed her the bowl he didn't remember emptying. She nodded and turned to go, handing out bowls to people who were still hungry.

"I'm not overtired!" Shippo whined. "And I'm not a child!" He shouted to Kaede's retreating back.

"Anyone would be tired," Miroku said, trying to pitch his voice to sound soothing and not condescending. "Child or no."

"I'm so proud of you." Kagome said, stroking down the hiccuping kit's back. "I've never seen you hold your transformation for that long before, and you were so brave."

"Really?" He sniffled and turned to sit in the crook of her arm. He fiddled with the edge of Kagome's yukata sleeve. "I practiced. Sango said it was my job to get Kaede out if something happened." His face crumpled up. "But we got caught."

"It worked out for the best." Kagome said, parroting her mother. "If you hadn't, who knows how long we would have been stuck there."

"That's a strange choice for a pet." The exorcist woman said, walking over and glancing at Shippo. "He's not even an Inari, is he? He seems useful, but somewhat needy."

"I'm not needy!" Shippo cried, standing indignantly in Kagome's lap. "I'm not a pet!"

"Shippo is a _person_," Kagome said, just as angry. "How could you think he's a pet?"

"He's not?" Another priest, middle aged and not captured long enough to lose his paunch, asked stepping closer. "Is he some sort of familiar?" He bent over to look at Shippo with his hands crossed behind his back. "The Priests," He nodded his head to the bearded priest and wide-eyed priest, "told me you were a miko. It is uncommon for us to take familiars or demon servants."

"I'm not a familiar!!" Shippo shouted, flopping back into Kagome's lap and ducking his chin down. He crossed his arms and pouted."I'm not a servant either!"

Kagome wrapped her arms around him. "Of course you're not! I _know_ it." She said, slipping back into her habit of affirming things she remembered. Shippo turned and hugged her arm, hiding his face.

"Then what is your relationship?" Asked another monk. He'd been bald when he went into the mountain, but the strange doubling of time now gave him bristly buzz of hair. He kept his seat by the fire, but his eyes were bright with interest.

"He's-He's-" Kagome sputtered, "He's _family!_"

"Yeah!" Shippo barked. "I'm family!" He blinked and looked up at Kagome. "I am?" he whispered. "Like Souta or Mamma or Ji-chan?" Miroku smiled, the little kit had obviously been paying close attention to her stories of home. He wondered if the kit had ever met Kagome's mother. His mind did a little flip-flop as a part of him _knew_ that wasn't possible and another part refused to acknowledge why.

"Of course!" Kagome said firmly and gave the curious priests, monks and mikos a collective glare before turning to Shippo. "We watch out for each other, right? And I love you, and you love me, right?"

"Right!" Shippo said, grinning so wide it seemed like his face would crack.

"Then we're family." Kagome said firmly, hugging him tight.

"You claim a demon as part of your kin?" Another priest said in surprise. "A demon?"

"That demon helped rescue you," pointed out Taro. "And me, and all of us."

"My family shrine has an inari clan that we count as kin," a middle-aged miko said, "though that is mostly ceremonial. I have never met them. I've never seen a kitsune cub before." She blinked, and smiled. "I just remembered that!"

"Yes, but he's not Inari," the exorcist repeated. "White foxes are known to be trustworthy. This one is a regular kitsune."

"_This one_ is a little boy!" Kagome said. "And a person, and I don't appreciate you all talking about him like he's a thing!"

"Sorry." The exorcist said, her strange young/old face pleasant but unreadable. "There was no offense meant. I was merely curious."

"Our curiosity is heightened at the moment." Miroku said coldly. "But I think it will be better exercised if we turn it inwards and attempt to learn about ourselves."

"Why don't we let Miroku-sama and his Lady rest." Taro said, jumping on the suggestion. "We can guess names again. Four of us got our names last time-"

"That's because Kagome-sama was guessing." The boy-monk interrupted.

"We all have the ability to remember names," chided a priest, "And she didn't guess your name, so come along."

"I wonder if it would be best not to try to remember," mused one monk. "The goal has always been to remove our attachments to this world so that we may better understand enlightenment-"

"But would you be able to find the path to enlightenment this way? We did not lose our attachments, they were taken from us," the bristly-haired monk argued. "That seems like a shortcut."

"Perhaps in choosing not to pursue them-"

"But knowledge is a blessing-"

Kagome sighed as the focus was taken off her and the kitsune in her arms. The group of holy men and women broke into two groups, one guessing names and the other having a friendly religious debate. (As friendly as religious debates could be at least.)

"Kagome?" Shippo said quietly, playing with his claws and looking sober. "Did you really, really mean it? That I'm your family?"

Miroku watched silently. He got the feeling if he spoke and reminded Shippo of his presence he wouldn't get a chance to hear Kagome's answer. And he wanted to hear it, he never understood how Kagome could take so many different people into her heart so easily. The cynical part of him wanted to think it was all platitudes and lip service. He'd spent enough time with her now to _know_ when she was disassembling. If he could hear this answer now, he'd know if it was the truth or not.

Kagome ran her fingers through his hair and smiled. "Of course I did."

"Then," Shippo gave a full body sigh, "When, um, before, when I said that you were my momma and that you'd never leave me, you said it wasn't true."

"Because that's not true, Shippo." Kagome said gently, rubbing his back as he laid his head against her chest. "I'm not your mother, and even though I love you I can't lie and say I am. And no one can make a promise that they'll never leave. We're in a dangerous fight, and living in a dangerous world. I'd like to be with you forever. I will promise that I'll _never_ stop loving you, no matter what." She gave a lopsided

grin. "Even when I couldn't remember your name I knew that I loved you."

"Me too." Shippo said, burrowing closer to her and eyes drooping. "I'll love you forever too." He gave a jaw popping yawn.

"That makes me really happy." Kagome said, pulling up some of her blankets to cover the little kit.

He squirmed under the blankets, pulling them up to his chin. "I didn't get to show you all my drawings," he whined sleepily, trying to keep his slowly drooping eyes open. "I was going to show you them all."

"Tomorrow." Kagome said, with just enough firmness. "Sleep now, we might need you to help us again in the morning."

"'Kay." Shippo murmured and finally gave up the fight to stay awake.

"I've missed this." Kagome confessed to Miroku, laying her hand on Shippo's back. "I didn't even know what it was, but I missed it anyway. I guess I got used to the weight." She made a face when Shippo's foot twitched. "Ow. And the kicks."

Kaede walked over. "It comes close to the time when we collapsed yesterday. You should prepare yourselves."

Kagome looked startled. "Do you think it's going to happen again?"

Miroku sighed, the remains of his bowl to the side. "If it was a consequence of the shrine, then no. We have broken all ties to that. If it was a suggestion planted when we were dosed with the smoke-" He shook his head. "It is impossible to say." He looked back at Kaede. "Is everyone safely away from the ledge and fire?"

"Yes." Kaede nodded. "I will take my leave, I wish to be in my bed. I am not so young as I once was."

Miroku and Kagome sat in silence, waiting. Camp had quieted down as people prepared for sleep, voluntary or not. The banked fire was dim and darkness seemed to settle deeply around them. He felt more than heard Kagome shift beside him.

"Are you well?" Miroku asked. She was so tense he could practically feel it pouring off of her like a shield.

"Where is Inuyasha?" She asked, looking at him. "Why isn't he here?"

"Someone needed to stay and guard the mountain entrance." Miroku said. He tried to ignore the needle sharp prick to his pride that she wanted the half-demon here instead of him. _I've only been by her side for nearly half a year, caring for her, protecting he_r, he thought. _Shouldn't she look to me a little for comfort?_ He immediately dismissed himself as a confused fool. As Kaede said, it wasn't his job any more. "Hachi and the villagers were exhausted. Inuyasha was the only one who had the stamina."

"Oh."

"Are you frightened?" Miroku asked sliding a little closer. "We are safe here, and even if we sleep again we will discover a way to break that control."

"I'm not scared." Kagome said keeping her gaze fixed up at the moon. Her voice was flat.

"Then what-" Miroku followed her gaze and sighed. A soul-collector undulated slowly above the treetops, heading towards the village. "Oh."

"I suppose it's good that she's not gone." Kagome babbled. "I mean, she needs to get her hair tie off the shrine. He knows about that, so he'll make sure she's free. It wouldn't be fair to leave her tied to it. And,

like, I bet that her holy power is one of the things keeping her alive, or moving I mean. It could really hurt her to be connected-"

"When we broke free," Miroku interrupted, "And both of you stood outside the mountain, it was you Inuyasha took to safety."

"Probably just because he knew that I'm useless compared to her." Kagome said, looking away. "He knew I couldn't protect myself."

"She was supported between two people." The monk shrugged. "Of the two, she looked to be more needy. Besides, didn't he refuse to leave you until you insisted he return?"

"Why do you think she's here?" Kagome said, her voice careful and stiff.

"Like you said, she is still connected-"

"No, I mean, why _was_ she here? Why was she in the cell with Kaede? They only put people who are captured together in the same cell." A cloud had passed over the sky, hiding the moon. He couldn't see her. "She must have been with Kaede when she was captured."

"We don't know that." Miroku said and tried to sound certain. "Shippo would have said something." Kagome didn't answer. He could tell that she wasn't sleeping, even in the dark. "When Inuyasha came back for Sango and I, he only mentioned Kaede."

"So he either knew she was there and choose me to save when we came out," Kagome said bitterly. "Or, he didn't know she was there at all. It can't be both." She gave a sigh, and her voice lost it's bitterness but sounded even more unhappy for it. "It doesn't matter, either way. I made my promise, and he made his. I don't know why it still hurts so much."

"Sadder than death," Miroku said. "So this is what you meant, My Lady." Inuyasha was her hero, but not truly "her man." He cared for her, it was so obvious to anyone who saw them together, but was bound to another in honor. It was worse that it was a promise that never should have been made, Kikyo was dead, and Inuyasha was a fool to treat the shell that existed as a person.

Remembering that conversation from so long ago, she sighed and said, "Yeah." There was a pause and she added ruefully, "I guess I _do_ know what it feels like to love someone you can't have."

He felt her lean closer, and he scooted over meeting her halfway. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"That is not certain yet." Miroku said.

She didn't answer.

"Kagome-chan? Houshi-sama?" Sango's voice called softly as she picked through the sleeping bodies of the monks and mikos.

"Here." Miroku called, and wondered as he watched the lithe figure approach them. What was that longing he'd felt? Was it connected to her? Kagome quickly straightened, taking her head off his shoulder and moving so that they no longer touched. Miroku frowned.

"It was around this time last night-" Sango started.

"That we slept, yes." Miroku agreed. "Are you here to see if we do so again?"

"Yes." She said, settling along side Kagome.

He wondered at that. If they were connected, shouldn't she making more of an attempt to sit by him, engage him in conversation? Inuyasha couldn't keep his hands off of Kagome when they were together, and the half-demon had never been particularly tactile. It was like he had to reassure himself that Kagome was actually there. But Sango seemed to be actively trying to distance herself from him and avoided being alone with him.

_If only his damn memories would return!_

"We should talk then," Miroku said. "Otherwise we won't know if we just drifted off or if the magic overtakes us again."

"Yes." Sango agreed, and he heard her shift uncomfortably but she said no more.

"Um." Kagome said and looked back and forth at them. "Maybe you guys want to talk together?"

"No!" Sango quickly stopped her from moving. "I haven't had a chance to talk to you at all, Kagome-chan!"

Kagome glanced at Miroku, and he knew that if he gave her any reason she'd find some other perch for the night and let the two of them talk. He carefully didn't look at her. Tonight would probably be the last night Inuyasha slept away from her, and therefore the last night he could have her beside him. He knew that before the cave he'd slept alone most nights but he didn't know what to do with himself now if he wasn't near her. His sleep the night before had been uneasy, and he was tired now. One more night he would ask for.

Kagome turned back to Sango. "I know! It's been so crazy, none of us have had a chance to talk."

Awkward silence fell. Miroku thought if he raised his hand his fingers would tangle in the unspoken questions that thickened the air.

"Are you feeling better now that you are no longer linked to the shrine?" Sango asked. "You looked so pale earlier."

"Yes," Kagome said and Miroku imagined that she was blushing at the memory. "I do. It's hard to describe, but before..." She paused and searched for words. "I always felt drained, like I'd been running for a long time or something. It never mattered how much I slept I was always exhausted. Now I feel tired, but it's not the same feeling." She snuggled a bit into her blankets. "Now I fee like if I sleep I'll wake up rested."

"I hope it's so." Sango said. "And your appetite, has it returned?"

Kagome sighed. "It's fine. But it doesn't matter if I'm hungry or not, like every five minutes someone is-"

::0::0::

The control still held. And worse, Kagome's morning weakness hadn't stopped or even lessened with the destruction of the shrine. She was worse. She had trouble even lifting her arms.

"Why is she still flopping around like a fish!?" Inuyasha growled. "And why were you hugging on her, letch?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome protested, trying to keep herself upright in his arms. She leaned her head forward so that it rested on the red-clad shoulder. Her hands fisted in the cloth, trying to hold herself up instead of flopping backwards. "I told you! We couldn't help how we fell asleep!"

"So you were hugging before you passed out?!" Inuyasha shouted, looking between her and Miroku.

"No!" Kagome huffed. "But we were right next to each other. It just kinda... happened!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku said calmly. "In the cell, there was only one futon, and M-... Kagome was often cold. It was how we became accustomed to sleeping." The morning had started off so well. He'd woken with Kagome safely in his arms, her breath against his neck and feeling refreshed. He'd felt ready to take on what ever came, in five more minutes. That five minutes hadn't been granted, Inuyasha had come and hadn't liked the position they were in at all.

"It didn't mean anything." Kagome agreed. Miroku glanced at her, knowing that it was true and not at the same time. It had meant a good night's sleep for him at the very least.

The dog demon's ears went back and then forward and his face settled into a stubborn scowl. "But why is she still all weak and floppy?"

"Maybe it's because she's giving off so much holy power." The boy-monk said scratching his head.

"What?" Miroku asked, looking at him.

"Can't you feel it?" The boy-monk said looking around at everyone. "It started early this morning and woke me up. It isn't so bad now, but at first it was real strong."

"Is that what it was?" Said one of the mikos, the one who'd remembered about her shrine the night before. "A burst of something woke me up. It wasn't malevolent though, so I thought it was just some morning Kami celebrating the sun... maybe the kami of the forest below."

"Step aside," The woman exorcist said and stepped forward. She pulled out a handful of her purification salt from the jug at her waist and cast in a semi-circle around Kagome and Inuyasha. As they watched the sand began to vibrate and scuttle back as if being blown by a soft breeze or a concussion of heavy footsteps. "She's giving it off in waves." She frowned down at Kagome. "Are you completely untrained? This would be a beacon to every unsettled spirit or low level demon, if they possessed you-"

"They tried that before." Inuyasha snorted. "She fought 'em off." The men and women on the ledge murmured at this.

Miroku took his staff and leaned it towards Kagome, stretching out with his senses at the same time. The rings began to jangle madly and now that he was looking he could feel the waves of power pouring out of her.

"It was never this strong before." He said, opening his eyes and meeting Kagome's. She could see how worried he was and clutched tighter to Inuyasha. "Her power has always been dormant except when it was needed to protect her or others."

"It makes sense." The wide-eyed priest said. "Now that I think about it."

"What makes sense?" The bearded priest asked. "My Lady's connection to the shrine was broken, why still would she be giving off such power?"

"It is like a goat." The priest explained, "When a goat gives milk at first it is instinctual and sporadic. But once you begin milking a goat, the milk they produce grows by leaps and bounds. As much as you take they will continue to produce." He looked around to the others. "The amount the shrine was draining from Lady Kagome was much greater than the rest of us, our powers are a drop in the bucket compared to hers. With her, the barrier stretched over the town. Without her it shrunk to just the headman's house... and that was with all of you left in the mountain. It was if the shrine was milking her of her power. But now that the shrine is not there to feed she does not know how to stop producing it. Usually the shrine would draw it's greatest amount of power after we were forced to sleep. So, she created the reserve to give to the shrine, like a goat making milk for a hungry kid. So now she..." he waved his hands, "leaks."

"Did you just compare me to a leaky goat?" Kagome asked incredulously.

"It is not a flattering analogy." Miroku conceded. "But it makes sense, My Lady."

"So why aren't the rest of you... um... leaking?" Kagome asked. "Why is it just me?"

"I would think a variety of reasons," The bearded priest mused. "One," he said holding up a long finger, "the shrine never took from us as much as it took from you, we were not as tightly connected. So none of us are producing more holy power then we did before we were confined."

"Two," his cell-mate nodded, "we are better trained. We have been schooled on how to maintain our abilities in reserve to use them only when needed. For us, this is instinctual. So the lady exorcist says, to do otherwise would to be invite the kami to posses us."

They both looked eager to continue listing reasons, but Inuyasha interrupted them. "So how do we stop it?!"

"Kagome will have to learn to shield herself." Kaede said simply. "We must make it habitual for her."

"I can show you, My Lady!" The little miko said eagerly.

"You are still a student yourself." Another miko said, her hair as steel gray as her eyes. "Kaede-sama, as someone Kagome-sama knows, would be the best teacher for her."

Kaede hesitated. "My power has never been great. I do not know if I could help her to contain herself as I was taught."

"We can help," The Inari shrine maiden said, wagging a hand eagerly. "If we work together we can contain her power, while you teach her."

"I've never done anything like that before." Said another miko. "But maybe if we treated it like a barrier-"

"We priests can help as well." The bearded priest said. "While our Lady learns she will be vulnerable. We can create a protective shield."

"Us too!" The boy monk said gesturing to himself and his fellow monks. "I can make some sutras... or something."

"Does everyone have to?" Kagome asked. Embarrassment tinged her cheeks pink and she looked like she wanted to hide.

"If it would make you feel uncomfortable, we can limit the amount to only what is needed." Miroku said. "Otherwise it might be detrimental to your learning."

"You'll help?" Kagome asked, looking hopeful.

"Of course," Miroku said. "We have come this far together, we can do this too."

She nodded and buried her head in Inuyasha's shoulder.

"But for now," Taro said coming up to her with a slip of paper. "Keep this with you, it is a reversal of the sutra Master Shinryu used to direct his power to the shrine. It should keep your power where it belongs, inside you."

Miroku intercepted the slip, his eyebrows going up as he examined the characters. "This is ingenious." He gently let his guard down and let some of his holy power flow out. The sutra glowed lightly around the edges and he felt the power return, like a gentle wave. He handed it to Kagome. "Try this, but if it should feel uncomfortable hand it back.

He frowned at the effort it took for her to lift her arm and take the sutra. It flared bright pink and her eyes widened.

"My Lady?" He asked, he and Inuyasha shared a glance. Kagome just stared at the sutra.

"That feels so weird." She said finally, looking up at Miroku.

"The salt has stopped moving." The lady exorcist said. "So it seems to be working."

"I can't feel it anymore." The boy monk said, nodding.

"How do you feel?" Miroku said, squatting so he could look her in the face.

"Full." Kagome said after a moment. "And I don't feel as tired." She held up a shaking hand. "But I still can't move easily."

"Then you must walk." Miroku said, and glanced up at Inuyasha. His ears were pricked forward with interest, and he had calmed down now that the reason for Kagome's weakness had an explanation and at least a partial solution.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said hesitantly. "Do you mind if Miroku walks with me?"

The dog ears went flat against his head and Inuyasha growled. "I can walk with you!"

"Yes, but..." Kagome bit her lip. "Miroku and I have been doing it for a while now-"

"So now I can do it!" Inuyasha insisted.

"Breakfast first." The little miko interrupted.

Kagome shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"You're eating anyway!" "You must eat." Inuyasha and Miroku said at the same time.

Kagome looked between the both of them and apparently saw that she wasn't going to win this argument. "Fine." she pouted. "Anything but fruit."

::0::0::

_Authors Note: _

_For those who wanted to know, an Inari Fox is a pure white Kistune that serves the god/goddess Inari. They were known to sometimes serve at Shinto shrines and many have statues them as guardians._

_ Thanks again to those who have reviewed. I may not get many, but the ones I get are very appreciated. I write this story for myself first, but knowing other people enjoy it keeps me trying to to the best I can with it.  
_


	9. Avoidance

Inuyasha had not relinquished his place to Miroku, and Kagome had been tired and wan by the time they finished walking. It was an image that stuck with Miroku all day. Sango had immersed herself in the care and command of her army of farmers, neatly avoiding him at every chance. He had in turn focused on his little army of monks and mikos.

He'd put The Priests, as they'd come to think of the two they first rescued, in charge of supervising the villagers as they dug graves for the dead. Taro and the little miko were trying to match up clothing with the corpses and preparing the dead for burial with the help of the rest. Miroku and Kagome had offered to help, but it was decided by unanimous vote that they would attempt, along with Sango and Inuyasha, to figure out how to dose the villagers with the smoke safely and remove the sleep control. He was thankful that Kagome wouldn't have to see the bodies. Like the rest of them she'd seen her share of death, but if he could protect her from more pain he'd feel better. She'd been upset enough when she'd found the old man from their flight. He hadn't survived.

They'd spent most of the afternoon in the headman's house, speaking with the headman, his council members and the servant girl who'd tended them and going through the things in the shrine room. They'd found a book of names and places, and had sent Shippo off to the Priests with it. Soon the living would have their histories returned, it was too late for the dead unless the Priests could figure something out.

The villagers knew of no cure for the lost memories. The only good information was that there was a way to fix the sleep control, if they dared use it. There was word that would trigger a state similar to when they were first drugged and commands given then could erase the current ones. The problem was they would not be aware of what was told to them during that time, and any type of new commands could be placed in their minds.

"Sango!" Kagome said instantly. "I trust Sango to do it."

"You don't trust me, My Lady?" Miroku said feigning more hurt than he felt.

"Of course I do." She huffed, crossing her arms. "But you can't even hear the word without going into a trance."

Inuyasha snorted and stalked out of the room. Sango watched him go and then turned back to them. "Inuyasha knows you trust him too," she said.

"Well," Kagome said, surprised it was even a question. "Yeah, of course." She looked over her shoulder where he'd left the headman's house. "I just... I don't know, I just thought of you first."

Kagome noticed that Kikyo's hair tie was gone. She'd asked Inuyasha about it and he'd gotten defensive and close-lipped. Miroku thought he'd taken this almost non-existent slight to escape before he had to answer real questions.

"You can remove the geas from us both." Miroku said, pulling them back on track. "Then we can do the same for the others."

"When I'm in a trance," Kagome said to Sango, "could you tell me to remember my memories faster or easier? Like, say something like "You will find it easier to recover your memories and remember your past." I don't know if it will work..."

"It is harmless to try," Miroku nodded. "I would like such a command as well."

"Okay." Sango said and took a deep breath. "Perhaps you two should sit." Miroku and Kagome settled down on the cushions in the headman's receiving room. The slayer paced nervously for a moment and then knelt in front of them. Miroku watched her start to mouth a word.

"Houshi-sama?"

Miroku blinked and looked up. Sango had disappeared from in front of him and appeared beside him, her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you awake?" Kagome asked, and she was on his other side with his hand between hers.

"Yes." Miroku said, but was surprised at how uncertain his voice sounded. "What happened?"

"You wouldn't wake up." Kagome squeezed his hand. "Sango told us both to, but you wouldn't come out of it." She threw her arms around him. "You really scared me, Monk!"

His arms came up automatically to hold her. "I'm sorry. Did it work?"

"Yes, on me at least." She pulled back, resting her hands on his shoulders and stared at him. "The word is sake."

Miroku blinked at her. "Sake?_Sake?!_" They used such a common word? What if he'd escaped without knowing? He would have been at the mercy of the first innkeeper he'd come across!

"Yay!" Kagome cried, and hugged him again. "It worked!" She blew out a puff of air, ruffling her bangs. "Pfft! If I'd gone home I'd have been in a trance when Ji-chan asked for his after dinner drink. I can't imagine what Souta would have done with tha-HEY!" She flung herself back and slapped him. "_HANDS!_"

"Yes, they are." Miroku said, eyes twinkling. "Sadly, this one is cursed-"

"It was the other one that grabbed me!" Kagome fumed.

Miroku looked at his bare hand in horror. "The curse is spreading!"

"Good to see you are yourself, Houshi-sama." Sango said, turned on her heel and walked quickly out of the room.

Kagome gasped. "Sango-chan!" She stood up and glared at Miroku. "She was really worried about you, you know!" She ran after the other woman.

Miroku watched her go. He took a moment to revel in the fact that now he could walk away from this village. There were no more controls on him or Kagome. His memory would return with time, and Kagome's strange wasting sickness had a solution as well.

He sighed. He wanted to leave this place. He wanted to return to the road, travel with Kagome and the others and leave the role of leader to Inuyasha. He chafed at all this responsibility. He only fuzzily remembered what their journey had been like, but he remembered being satisfied. Not content, he'd never be content until this curse was gone from his hand, but satisfied with the direction his life had taken. He wanted that feeling back.

But his tasks were not done. He had to figure out what to do with the rest of the former captives and what to do with the villagers. Just dosing them with smoke didn't seem enough. It may go against everything Buddha taught, but he wanted revenge. But there could be no suitable revenge for this. The entire village was to blame, but it consisted of old men, children and women. He would have to be "satisfied" with taking their memories and leaving them to their demon attacks. They wouldn't even be entirely defenseless, the Priests and a couple of the others had elected to stay behind in the village. They wanted to study Shinryu's work.

"You should go apologize to her." Kagome frowned at him from the doorway, her arms crossed.

"That would require getting her to agree to speak with me for more than five minutes." Miroku said smiling up at her. Besides which, he hadn't actually done anything _to_ Sango.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "She won't talk to me either." She scratched her head and walked back into the room, pacing the perimeter. "I don't know what's wrong. Do... you think maybe I did something before..." before they were caught, before they lost their memories, "that made her upset? She'd be too nice to talk about it now."

"Sango does not seem the type to hold grudges." He frowned. "I don't think."

"You've remembered something." Kagome said, stopping in front of him and crouching. She peered at him.

"No," Miroku said slowly. "It's more a feeling then a memory." He couldn't even put a name to it. It was a weird mix of apprehension, shame, and happiness all tied up with Sango and her temper.

"Like your longing?"

Miroku looked up in surprise. "My...longing?"

Kagome pulled over a cushion and settled in, folding her hands on her knees. She took a deep breath and gave him a determined look. "Remember when I asked if you were married or something?"

Miroku nodded. "And I remember saying that any man who refused you would be a fool, as I see Inuyasha is."

Kagome face flamed red. "Don't change the subject." She crossed her arms.

"I wasn't aware I was." Miroku lied. He didn't like the turn of this conversation.

"Well, you are." Kagome said irritably. "_You_ said you weren't engaged to anyone."

"I'm not."

Kagome stared at him.

Miroku's bushy brows came together. "I'm not." He repeated.

Kagome sighed and abandoned her cushion to crawl closer to him, falling into the habit from their captivity. They spent most of their days leaning or sitting together. She slid to his side and leaned against his shoulder. "Why don't you remember?"

At this point, Miroku knew he should ask "Remember what?" But he couldn't force the words out. "You play games, My Lady," he said, he tilted his head so that it rested against the crown of hers. "Your memories have returned easier then mine."

"But you should remember more." She said. "_I_remember. And I _know_ Sango remembers."

"I remember what?" Sango said from the doorway.

Kagome gasped and stood quickly. "Ow!" She cried as she knocked her head hard against Miroku's. "Oh, Sango! I-"

"They're ready for the burial." Sango said cutting her off and not quite looking at either of them. "Everyone is gathering."

"The villagers should be here for this." Miroku said, gathering up his staff and standing. "They should see what their selfishness wrought."

Sango nodded. "My men are bringing them out." She turned to leave. "I should make sure there aren't any problems."

"Sango, wait!" Kagome ran forward."I want to come with you!"

She looked over her shoulder and frowned. "You'd be a distraction for the prisoners. They all know you're the one that was making their shield so strong. They get restless when you're around."

"Oh." Kagome stopped and sighed.

"My Lady!" The little miko came running in. "Did Sango-san tell you? We're going to dance after the funeral, to cleanse the site." She held a white and blue miko's uniform over her shoulder. "I know you are untrained, but you should at least be dressed." She gestured for Kagome to follow her. "We're all dressing down the hall."

"Okay," Kagome said taking the clothes, happy that they weren't the typical red and white. She didn't want to think too closely about where they might have gotten it from. She glanced at Miroku and Sango.

"I'll see you two later." Kagome said and tugged the little miko after her.

"Oh!" The girl said stopping Kagome just before the left the room. "My name! I was in the book." She gave Miroku a little bow. "I'm Hanako!"

"A pretty flower, an appropriate name." Miroku said suavely.

Hanako blushed and ran from the room. Miroku could feel Sango's eyes boring into his back. He turned and met her glare. Kagome had purposely left them together, but Sango did not seem to be in the best moods.

She opened her mouth to say something and then snapped her jaw shut. "I'm going to check on my men. I'm sure Taro would appreciate your help with the funerals." She turned on her heel and stepped briskly out of the room.

"Eventually we will have to talk." Miroku said to her back and she froze. "It doesn't have to be now. I will wait for you to come to me."

She turned to him and his stomach dropped at the hope in her eyes. "Have you remembered, Houshi-sama?"

_Lie, lie,_ his mind said, _lie to her._ "No." He replied and stepped forward as her eyes began to shimmer. "Sango-"

"I have to go." She said and ran out of the room.

Miroku sighed. Obviously he'd forgotten something important.

::0::0::

"You should be sleeping."

Miroku looked up at Kaede. "Yes, I should. I suppose I am excited to finally be leaving."

Two days past the funeral and the last of the villagers had been dosed. Every house had been searched, every cache of incense or smoke bombs destroyed. Even while his heart wept at the destruction of knowledge, the Shinryu's scroll with the formula had been burned. Taro and the Priests had come up with some ways of protecting the village during attack from demons.

They'd had their first yesterday and the "fearsome" demons had been a rather weak lizard and weasel demon. It had taken Sango all of five minutes to have them dispatched. Inuyasha hadn't even bothered to draw Tessiaga. The headman, last to be dosed, had confirmed that the were the level of demon that usually attacked. It made their confinement even more vile. If the village had hired one trained fighter this all could have been avoided.

He shook his head, his mind was running in circles. He shifted and adjusted his seat against the cave wall. He winced as his staff jingled. He couldn't get comfortable, he couldn't relax. He couldn't figure out what to do with his arms. He looked at Kaede, waiting patiently as always as unmovable as the rock she sat on.

"And yourself?" He said finally. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? We start a long journey tomorrow."

"It is the way of the old to want to sleep when you should wake and wake when you should sleep." Kaede said, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "And my journey will not be as long. Sango will fly me back to the village tomorrow."

"Ah, yes." Yet another way for Sango to avoid talking to him or Kagome. He didn't so much mind her avoiding him, he didn't know if he was prepared for that conversation either. But Kagome wilted every time her friend rebuffed her advances. He shifted again. "Aren't there villagers from your home among Sango's men? What will they do?"

"Follow beneath us." Kaede gave another one-shouldered shrug. "It will take us two, maybe three days." She looked across the fire to Kagome sleeping in her strange bag with Shippo. "I am surprised Kagome didn't ask to go with us."

Why would she? The question was on his lips but he bit it back, his shoulders tensing. Kaede's village was not Kagome's home. He knew that. Why didn't he know more?

"My Lady feels obligated to see the others home." he said instead. She'd confessed she felt responsible for the capture of all of them. If she hadn't told him not to remove his glove they could have been freed much sooner. Seeing as how the first time he'd expressed curiosity at it, he'd pointed it towards his face he couldn't find it in him to blame her at all. He glanced at her across the fire and smiled.

"She is a girl of many responsibilities." Kaede agreed and he looked at her sharply. The woman was subtle, but she'd been warning him away from Kagome since they'd escaped. By now every comment had the subtlety of a tree branch to the head.

"I am aware of that." He said irritably. "We all have responsibilities." He raised his gloved hand.

Kaede nodded. "Why do you not remember?"

Surprised at the switch in the conversation Miroku was for a moment speechless. "It is out of my control." He said finally, waving a hand. "My memories do not return."

"Is it that they do not return or that you do not pursue them?" Kaede asked. "You do not sit with the others and share stories, you do not join in the guessing games, you avoid any conversation with those who bring up the past."

Miroku blinked at her in the dim light. "I have been too busy for games and idle conversation."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kagome asked, wrapped tight in a blanket. "Why aren't you asleep? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong." Miroku said quickly. "You should be sleeping."

"I was, but I woke up." She smiled, "But look-" she did an unsteady twirl, "I was asleep for hours and I can still walk!" She grinned even as she shivered and rubbed at her arms.

"That is encouraging, My Lady." He opened his arms and she accepted the invitation to sit close and be wrapped in the sleeves of his robes.

She snuggled into his side, and peered over his arm at Kaede. "So what were you talking about?"

"Kaede will be leaving with Sango tomorrow on Kirara with the others from her village." Miroku said.

"Oh, right." Kagome said. "I'll keep practicing what you taught me." She said. She looked up at Miroku. "You'll help, right?"

"Of course." Miroku nodded. Kagome was proving to be spectacularly bad at the meditation and other techniques needed to shield and harness her power. She was much too easily distracted. "You must learn to concentrate."

Kagome huffed. "I'm trying!" She squirmed unhappily in his grip. "I don't understand why it's so hard."

"Great power requires great control." Kaede said simply.

"I don't understand why I'm suddenly so strong." Kagome barely kept herself from whining. She shot Miroku a glare. "And no leaky goat analogies."

"In order to contain the Shikon, you would have to be able to contain great power." Kaede said. "Shinryu's spells merely awakened that slumbering capability. There is also the age of your soul to consider."

"The age of my soul?" Kagome repeated.

"As a miko ages her power increases, as long as her purity remains true." Kaede explained. "As a child, my power was but a whisper. Now, through training and study as well as age, I can accomplish much. If I were to die and be reborn, would all that ability be lost?"

Miroku shook his head, "I am unsure of your teachings, but in my philosophy the whole purpose of life is to learn and we take those teachings with us to grow further in the next life." His brow wrinkled as he glanced down at Kagome. What did this have to do with her? At the back of his mind a little petulant voice was telling him to change the subject.

Kagome ducked her chin down, "So because I used to be _her-_"

"And who knows how many people since then." Kaede interrupted with a nod. "I don't see how anyone her could match you, they had simply not had the time you have had to progress."

"You two speak in riddles." Miroku said irritably, he wasn't used to being the "slow" one in the conversation. "Who did you used to be?"

Kagome looked at him in surprise, mouth gaping. She turned and pressed herself closer , resting her hand on his chest as she peered up into his eyes. "I thought you remembered... I mean we talked about her before-"

"You have still not said who she is." Miroku interrupted.

"My sister Kikyo." Kaede answered, watching him closely.

The dead girl who looked like his lady. The one Inuyasha had made a promise to and Kagome broke her heart over accepting. "You are her reincarnation." Miroku said slowly. _That's not all. There's more_, his mind whispered to him.

"You do remember?" Kagome asked.

"Yes." Miroku said, purposely misunderstanding her. He did remember, and didn't.

Kaede gave him a hard stare. "You should think on it, what we've discussed."

"What?" Kagome turning in his arms to face Kaede again. She yawned and rested her head on his chest.

"We were discussing Miroku's lack of progress with his memories." Kaede said, ignoring the displeased look the monk sent her way.

"Yeah," Kagome said, looking up at him with a worried frown. "I don't understand why you don't remember _more._ Even the Priests have remembered more." Having been dosed twice with the smoke, they had lagged far behind the others in regaining their identities. The bearded one, known now as Keiichi, and the younger one as Manabu the elder (the boy monk was Manabu as well) remembered almost none of their captivity and their lives before it.

"It doesn't matter." Miroku shrugged, fighting off his own yawn. "I have remembered enough and the rest will come."

"But why doesn't it come faster?" Kagome said.

"I suspect that Miroku's memories are not as pleasant." Kaede said. "You have a happy and safe past, a childhood of loving family and friends. Of course you would be eager to recover them." She looked at Miroku with resignation. "I doubt your memories are so rosy." She said baldy. "And there is no shame in not wishing to remember. But you had best come to grips with your past before it refuses to be ignored."

She stood before either could react. "We should all attempt to sleep. Your journey will be longer than mine and I doubt Inuyasha will be as patient as Sango." She gave a pointed look at Kagome before she left.

"I will." Kagome said, yawning again. "I'm tired and Inuyasha will be waking us up early," she said wryly, but snuggled into Miroku's side. "Why do you have to be so warm? I don't want to get up again."

"I live to serve," Miroku chuckled, "though I did not realize it was to be as My Lady's bedwarmer." He was not complaining. Despite Kaede's warning, he was finally feeling relaxed and comfortable. "You do not _have_ to get up again." He tucked his sleeves around her tighter.

"Yes, I do." Kagome mumbled, already dozing. "Inuyasha will get mad, and Sango will get the wrong idea." She sighed, a soft breath of air against his neck. "Just five more minutes."

Miroku made rumbly noise she took for agreement. "As you wish," he yawned. He had not slept well the past couple nights, and it was catching up with him. He'd rather she didn't move. He finally knew what to do with his arms.

::0::0::

"Monk." Kagome hissed. "Let me go."

"Mmm?" Miroku cracked his eyes open. "The lights are not on yet, My Lady." He patted her on the back. "Go back to sleep."

"_Monk._"

"My Lady?" He yawned and smoothed his hands down her back.

"You have to-_hands!"_

He smiled, his hands of her full delightful rear. "Yes, I have two hands. One," he squeezed his left hand, "Two," he squeezed his right hand. "Did you need something? They are rather full at the moment."

"_Let go!"_ She leaned up to whisper in his ear, and he could feel her hand gripping at his robe. "It'll be dawn soon, I have to get back to my sleeping bag!"

"Why?" He asked, enjoying her wriggling. He drew one hand up her side and brushed the underside of her breast. He bent his head and laid a line of nibbling kisses on her neck.

"Don't!" She gasped arching against him and trying to push herself away from him.

"Mon-mph!" He lifted her chin and covered her mouth with his own. She strained for a moment more and then relaxed under his kiss, her hand slowly loosing her death grip on his robes.

He wished for a moment that she was wearing her own little clothes instead of being wrapped in a blanket over a borrowed yukata, in this position he couldn't get to anything. Instead he just had to be content with massaging her shoulders and encouraging her to melt against him. If he just changed their position a little...

He shifted so that he could lay her back, wanting to unwrap her. If she was cold he could warm her up so much more effectively skin to skin. Unfortunately, the move brought her back to her senses. She turned her head to the side gasping as he continued to kiss her wetly on her jaw and neck.

"M-monk! Wake up!"

"Am I dreaming?" He asked still keeping a tight hold with one arm as he laid her under him. "I see no reason to wake up then." He nuzzled at her neck and nipped lightly at her earlobe. "If this were truly a dream you wouldn't still be in those clothes." He whispered, his hand found its way underneath the blanket she had wrapped around herself.

She gasped and shivered. Underneath his hand he could feel her nipple starting to poke against the cloth. He smoothed his hand over, trying to find the edge of her yukata so he could feel it better.

She slapped it aside and pushed against his shoulder. "Miroku! Let me up!"

Miroku blinked, his name clearing a bit of the fog.

"Are you awake now?" Kagome asked in a small voice, breathy and soft in a way that made him want to press her back down.

"If I say no," he said lightly teasing at the edge of her yukata with a finger, "will you stay and dream with me?"

"Monk!" Even under the light of the fading moon he could see her blush. "We, _you_, can't do this."

He lowered his hips down a bit so she could feel him. "Oh, I could. I'm pretty sure. It's been a while, and I'm out of practice, but I could. See?" He kissed her again, quick, deep and playful. He kind of liked the rhythm of her kisses, tense, relax, tense. "And I'd be happy to show you how." He nibbled at her lower lip. "Let's at least try."

She groaned but pushed him away, squirming out from under him. "Stop it!" She glared at him, the ferociousness dulled by the rosy tint of her cheeks and her heaving chest. She smoothed back her hair and rearranged her yukata as he sat up. She stared at him and her expression shifted to pleading. "You have to stop. You can't do that kind of thing anymore."

"What kind of thing?"Miroku kept her from leaving, blocking her with an arm. He was tired of these constant protests.

"The...the kissing and touching." Kagome said. "It was different when we were in the cell, now we remember and we can't do that anymore."

"If you want that," he said harshly, frustrated and angry, his humor dropping away, "stop teasing me."

"Teasing-? I never-!" She started.

He kissed her again, hard and forceful, invading her mouth. Her arms gripped his forearms on either side of her and she pressed against him in shock. He could feel her heart race and her skin warm. No wonder she likes Inuyasha, he thought bitterly, she likes it rough.

"What do you call draping yourself all over me, crawling in my lap, pressing up against me?" Miroku growled. Her jaw shut with a snap and her eyes widened impossibly. He crawled forward, invading her space, trapping her and pressing her against the rock wall. "I am a _man_, My Lady. I am not a cushion, or a bedwarmer, or a blanket. I am not a thing to be used and tossed away."

"I know that." She said her arms coming up protectively across her chest. He stared at her hard and she ducked her head. "I.. I didn't think you minded. I didn't think." She sniffled. "I'm sorry."

Miroku drew back, "My Lady-"

"I won't bother you anymore." She said, broke out of his grip, scrambled up and ran back to her sleeping bag.

He leaned against the wall and let his head fall back. "Idiot." He muttered. What had he just done?

::0::0::

_Thank you again to my kind reviewers. This chapter seems short to me, but I didn't know when I'd have a chance to write more so I decided to post this up as is. I have a busy month coming up so my updates might slow down a bit. -SocialExperiment_


	10. Getting to the point

::0::0::

"My Lady!?"

"Dammit, Bouzu!" Inuyasha yelled from his perch from a tree on the edge of camp. "She's right fucking there!" He pointed to Kagome in her sleeping bag. "Quit waking everyone up!"

Miroku flushed, unfolding himself from his defensive crouch. "I'm sorry, I was-"

"Dreaming." Taro said, irritably. "We know. After a week of being woken before dawn, _we know._" He rolled over and tucked his blanket over his head.

"The first thing I'm going to do when I get home," Manabu said, burrowing back into his blanket, "is sleep late!"

"Oh, don't be that way." The Inari shrine maiden, Eiko, said. "I think it's kind of sweet."

"You would." Reiki, the woman exorcist snorted. "Stupid, foolish, romantic nonsense-"

"Don't be mean!" Hanako said. "Besides, you're all embarrassing Miroku-sama and his Lady!"

"Will you all shut up?" One of the soldiers shouted from across camp. "Bad enough that we get woken up by that imitation cock's crow every morning, do you all have to squabble like hens?! Let us get back to sleep."

Hanako drew herself up, "Hens!? Hens!? That's the amount of respect you have for us-"

"Oh, shut it already!" Reiki shouted.

"You should apologize," the bushy haired monk said to the solider. "That really wasn't called for-"

"I say it was pretty damn called for," interrupted another farmer-soldier, "we come all this way, is a good night's rest too much to ask-"

"Hey now," a laconic farmer said, scratching at his stomach. "It's not like they asked to be captured-"

"We do appreciate it," one of the priests said. "Don't think we don't-"

"Enough!" Inuyasha roared. "If you're all up we might as well get going!"

A collective groan spread over the camp. Bodies started to pick themselves up and packing their gear. Once Inuyasha used that tone there was no arguing. He plummeted from his tree in a controlled fall and nudged Kagome. "Oi, wench, breakfast!"

"I don't want any." Kagome muttered letting Shippo slip out of her arms and sleeping bag. She turned to hug her pillow.

Inuyasha growled and pulled the pillow from under her head. "I wasn't askin'! Get up and eat!"

"I'm not hungry!" She flared.

"So fucking what?!" Inuyasha's ears went back. "You're eating anyway!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku said approaching cautiously, "breakfast isn't ready yet. Why don't you let My Lady sleep until it's then? You'll eat when it's ready, won't you?" He addressed the lump that was Kagome. She'd retreated deep into her sleeping bag and looked like a giant worm. It shook it's head no.

"I'm not hungry!" Her voice came out petulant. "I'll eat later, it makes me feel sick to eat in the morning."

"OI!" Inuyasha nudged the worm with his foot again and it squirmed away from him. "You're eating!!"

Knowing the more Inuyasha insisted, the more Kagome would resist Miroku changed his focus. "Shippo!" He called. "Did I ever tell you of the delightful song My Lady taught me?"

"Song?" Shippo hopped up onto Miroku's shoulder. "Kagome never taught _me_ any songs!"

The worm stilled. "Monk? What are you telling him?"

"This one is really special." Miroku said, ignoring her. "She used to sing it with her brother."

Kagome popped her head out of the sleeping bag. "You wouldn't!"

Shippo looked at Kagome then Miroku. "Wouldn't what? Why can't I learn it? I want to learn the song!"

"I'm getting up! I'm going to eat breakfast! I'll even help make breakfast!"

"Don't do that!" Inuyasha said. "That annoying miko cooks just fine."

"Hanako cooks?" Shippo asked.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, "No, the other one."

Coughing into his hand, Taro interrupted. "Um, Mariko has finished warming the porridge-"

"That one!" Inuyasha said.

"I don't think Mariko's annoying." Shippo said, jumping off of Miroku's shoulder and onto Taro's.

"Um." Taro looked a little uncomfortable.

Inuyasha snorted. "They're all annoying! They're humans."

"Hey!" Kagome said standing up. "I'm human!"

"You're annoying too!" Inuyasha said throwing up his hands. "You keep needin' to sleep an' eat an' -"

"Speaking of eating-" Miroku said and wagged his eyebrows at Kagome and then jerked his head at Shippo.

"I'm going now." Kagome huffed and stalked past him, Shippo jumped off Taro's shoulder into her arms still whining about wanting to learn songs from her.

"Why don't she wanna eat?" Inuyasha asked plaintively. "She's still so skinny."

"It may be a side effect of the sutra." Taro said. "She did say it made her feel full."

"Then she should take it off." Inuyasha growled, flexing his fingers as if he was going to rip it off her that very moment.

"No!" Miroku said quickly. "Not until she's better able to control herself. She'll weaken again."

Inuyasha snorted. "Damn annoying bitch," he muttered and took off into the forest.

Taro's face was flushed with anger, "Are you just going to let him speak that way of Kagome-sama?" He said to Miroku. "How can she stand to be around him? All he does is insult her! How can that not anger you?"

"She is used to translating his meaning from his actions rather then his rough words." Miroku explained. "He is only concerned for her and uses anger and complaints to mask it."

"Kagome-sama does not deserve that."

Miroku sighed.

"Where did Inuyasha go?" Kagome asked Taro. She didn't meet Miroku's eyes. She had two bowls of porridge and behind her Shippo walked carefully with a third.

"The Hanyo went into the forest." Taro said stiffly.

"The "hanyo" has a name." Kagome said blowing her bangs out of her eyes . She walked to the forest edge and sat down with her bowl. She set the other next to her and proceeded to ignore it and focus on her food and Shippo.

Taro glanced at Miroku and then back at Kagome. "What is she doing?" He muttered.

"I brought you a bowl." Hanako said coming up to Miroku. He thanked her and took it, and Taro took one from Eiko.

Miroku took a spoonful and then glanced at the forest. "That is what she's doing."

Inuyasha had emerged from the forest and hunkered down next to her. He'd taken the porridge and was messily eating it by sipping straight from the bowl.

Hanako gave an unladylike and un-miko-like snort. "She's like a wild animal tamer, dealing with him."

"I think it's kind of sweet." Eiko said.

Hanako rolled her eyes. "You think everything is kind of sweet."

"Well, they are. Don't they kind of look like a family? Eiko pointed to Kagome, "Momma," she gestured to Inuyasha, "Poppa," she mimicked tickling fingers, "and widdle baby foxy-woxy." She sighed happily. "Shippo's so cute I could just eat him up."

"That is a disgusting notion." Taro said.

Eiko blinked at him, "Well, I wouldn't really _eat_ him-"

Taro chopped a hand through the air, "No!" He sighed. "The thought of Kagome-sama being _with_ that hanyo."

Miroku gave him a cool look. "I was not aware you had a problem with Inuyasha's nature. You do not seem to have a problem with Hachi or Shippo."

"It is not his nature that bothers me." Taro said. "It is him." He stalked off into the camp.

"Uh-oh..." Eiko sing-songed, "Some-one's got a cruuu-uh-uh-sh!"

"He does not!" Hanako said. "He just feels that Kagome-sama deserves someone better." She gave a pointed look towards Miroku and flounced off after Taro.

Eiko looked at Miroku and then at the little "family" by the forest's edge. "Well," she said. "I do think they look sweet, and Inuyasha is nice enough for a rough sort." She smiled at Miroku, chubby cheeks dimpling and looking much younger then her thirty odd years. "But if you wanted to steal her away, I think that would be positively romantic." She giggled, blushed, and ran back into camp.

Miroku sat where he was and finished his porridge slowly, glancing at Kagome. Shippo and Inuyasha were making sure she ate all of her serving. She saw his look and flinched. She turned and concentrated on Shippo, wiping his face with a scrap of cloth. She hadn't spoken to the monk any more then absolutely necessary since their argument the last night at the village. It had been a week, Sango had yet to return, and Miroku was feeling a bit isolated from the little "family" of Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo.

It wouldn't be romantic, he mused. It could be, if Inuyasha was a cruel man who abused her terribly and he was rescuing her from a horrible fate at his hands. Miroku could then happily and virtuously swoop in and seduce her out of the sway of the "evil hanyo." He could-

Miroku's eyes glassed over as he contemplated all the ways he could seduce her. He could push her up against a tree as the collected firewood, sneak into that tight bedroll of hers, come across her as she bathed... oh, Buddha, when she _bathed_. He could steal her clothes, after watching her go through her lather and rub routine of course. Then as she rose from spring, rivulets of water tracing down those full breasts, he'd step out from behind a tree. She'd be surprised, but he would see in her eyes she wanted him too. He would see it in her body, the way that flush covered her from head to toe and her lips parted. They'd come together and he'd kiss her, and she'd kiss him back, pressing against him and soaking his robes.

"Do you want more porridge, Miroku-sama?" Hanako asked coming up with another bowl.

He blinked at her, his fantasy bursting like a soap bubble. "Thank you." He said and took the bowl. "Did you-"

"Inuyasha came and got another bowl for Lady Kagome." Hanako said, guessing his thoughts. "I gave her a little of last night's rabbit too."

"Good." Miroku nodded. He knew Kagome didn't like that everyone was joining forces about her eating. But it made him feel better that even if she wouldn't listen to him she was listening to _someone._

He watched as Kagome scowled but obediently finished the second bowl of porridge. He watched Inuyasha hand Shippo the bit of rabbit jerky while she was absorbed in the bowl. The little fox turned to Kagome with huge watery, shining, pleading eyes, holding out the meat. The girl sighed and shot Inuyasha a dirty look, clearly on to his tactics. But she couldn't resist the Shippo's "puppy dog" eyes and took the jerky. The kit leaned forward, resting his paws on her knees and watched her until she started eating.

Miroku nodded approvingly. No, it wouldn't be romantic. Because Inuyasha wasn't an evil or cruel man. If the half-demon hurt Kagome it was only through the Inuyasha's faultless honesty. Miroku frowned. He didn't know if honesty was the right word. Inuyasha certainly wasn't honest about his feelings for the girl. But even that was to protect her in his clumsy way. He wasn't free to make promises and declarations to Kagome. Of course, if he wasn't he shouldn't beat back any other male who expressed an interest. It just made her cling to hope. Miroku shook his head. He was going in circles.

Kagome was eating. "Her man" was being attentive and protective of her. She was gaining in strength and health. She still needed to learn control, but that could come with time. He shouldn't be upset that she wouldn't even look his way. He shouldn't be upset that he couldn't get close enough to her to smell that ripe apple scent. He shouldn't miss the feel of her beside him as he slept. He shouldn't miss the weight of her making his legs and arms lose circulation as she carelessly draped herself over him. He should revel in his freedom. It shouldn't bother him that she didn't seem to miss him at all.

He gave his empty bowl to Eiko and wandered with staff in hand to the opposite edge of the clearing they had camped in. He took a deep breath and stretched out his muscles before taking up his staff. He went through a couple of experimental spins and thrusts with it. His shoulders protested, no longer used to the heavy weight and stiff from disuse. He frowned as his arms started to ache. He worked through it, moving through a kata his body remembered but his mind didn't. His muscles finally loosened and he found his rhythm. Too long, he thought, it took too long. He had to exercise more.

"Oi, Bouzu, we're going!" Inuyasha barked. "Come on."

"Coming." He called, breathing heavier then he liked. The troop of people was already filing out of the clearing.

It was this weakness that had made him glad they were all walking to the homes of the returning soldiers and captives. It would have been quicker to have Hachi fly them, but he couldn't manage all the captives and the soldiers too. Instead Hachi was carrying the "spoils" of the farmers siege against the Twin Mountain village. Kagome had protested, but they only took what the village could do with out and it was unfair to send the farmers home with nothing for their toil. They had bolts of cloth, rice stores, tools, all useful things that would help them through their late harvest. Some of the farmers had even decided to stay in the Twin Mountain village, claiming empty homes and eye-ing the many marriageable women. They didn't fear demons, if they had they never would have traveled with Inuyasha.

Miroku jogged to join up with the end of the train. He looked over the group, counting heads. Inuyasha was of the mind that if someone wasn't smart enough to get going with the rest of group they deserved to be left behind. Yesterday they'd almost lost Eiko that way. Thankfully today everyone seemed accounted for.

The boy monk Manabu was chasing Shippo around the edges of the group, the mikos flocked together clucking at their antics. The priests followed them, pretending to ignore the boys and talked with the monks. As Manabu ran too close to one monk the older man playfully slapped him across the back of his head warning him to be respectful of the holy persons. Manabu just ducked his head and clapped his hands in a prayer begging forgiveness before yelling at Shippo to _stop cheating_. Reiki walked alone in island of her own strangeness. The farmers ranged around them, still acting the protectors. Miroku chuckled at everyone's enthusiasm and energy, despite their abrupt awakening, but his eyes didn't stop roving over the group.

"She's over yonder." One farmer, Miroku thought his name was Sato, said. Sato jerked his chin towards Kagome who was stupidly walking backwards as she described something to a farmer. He was nodding patiently, and even looked interested. Even as his shoulders loosened, lost the last of his tension, and Miroku wondered what she could possibly be discussing, the expected happened. Kagome gave a little shriek as she tripped over a root.

"Ah." Miroku breathed his hand coming up as if he could catch her from his spot in the back of the group. The farmer who'd been listening to her grabbed her hands and just barely kept her from falling to the ground. Kagome laughed, blushed and apologized. She turned right-ways and continued talking as if she hadn't tripped at all. She was still wearing borrowed clothes, this time a simple woman's kimono. It hugged her curves nicely, he thought, especially that pert-

"Got yerself right flummoxed, don't yer?" Sato said. He cast a speculative glance at Kagome. "Though I'll say, if I had my druthers an' pick of the lot here, she'd be the one I'd chose too."

Miroku leveled the man a flat look of annoyance. "I think you misunderstand-"

"Ain't no misunderstanding a look like that!" Laughed another farmer, slapping Miroku across the back familiarly. "I looked at my Mina that way, and my father approached her father the very next day. Good thing!" He looked at Sato, "'Cause this one was lookin' at her too."

"Damned luck of mine." Sato sighed. "But I got her sister, and I think most days I got the better bargain. My Yuki cooks better."

"That's true." The other man nodded. "But mine sews better. Look at this," he pointed to the stitching on his sleeve. "Three years and not a single repair needed. She'll love the cloth I'm bringin' her."

"How nice." Miroku said and decided to disengage himself from this uncomfortable conversation. "I-"

"What ya should do, see, is talk'ta her father." Sato advised. "Don't matter who she might fancy at first, if her father makes the match yer set. That was my mistake. I went about charmin' Mina, instead of her kin."

"Can't see as her kin'd choose a hanyo o'er a respectable man o' the cloth." Mina's husband said. "Not that he's a bad sort, but from a father's point of view-"

"My Lady's family has met Inuyasha and approves of him." Miroku said coolly, only realizing this was true as he said it. Inuyasha was the only one who had met Kagome's family. Why was that?

"Oh." Sato frowned. "Well, that Hanako will be a pretty thing in a year or two."

"That Eiko might be a bit long in the tooth, but she'd be nice to wake up to in the mornin' I'd wager." Mina's husband said. "And that Mariko is a fine cook. Can't underestimate the worth of a good cook."

"Gentlemen," Miroku said straightening his shoulders and pulling on his best holy aura. "You will have to excuse me, I wish to discuss with Inuyasha our journey today."

"Good plan." Sato said. "Miss Kagome ain't near him right now so he might actually let ya close." Mina's husband nodded.

Miroku took the tattered remnants of his pride, nodded to them, and went to seek Inuyasha. He hadn't been aware the tension between the three of them was so apparent. Inuyasha didn't like any male approaching Kagome, not just him. Kagome was avoiding him, true, but she didn't make pains to make it obvious.

Perhaps, he thought wryly, it was he himself that was being so obvious. He'd been following Kagome around like a lost puppy. He had instantly regretted his frustrated words the moment she ran away from him in the pre-dawn light. He'd sat with his robes slowly loosing her body warmth and scent and cursed himself. Since then he had tried to engage her in conversation, both the next morning and in the week following, but she'd glued herself to Inuyasha's side. The half-demon had only been too happy to carry her around as they made their plans to leave and started to travel. Kagome was still weak, and found the long days travel too much. Inuyasha usually carried her ahead of the group after their midday meal, completely out of Miroku's reach.

Sensing the new tension between the monk and Kagome, Inuyasha had been shooting Miroku suspicious looks and grabbing Kagome away any time he got near in the mornings. He hadn't been particularly interested in Miroku's input in organizing this trip. Inuyasha made his plans with Sango and informed Miroku only when he wanted him to liaison with the holy men and women who balked at taking orders from a hanyo. Now that they were on the road, Inuyasha's word was law and Miroku wasn't needed at all. If any of them disobeyed or disagreed with Inuyasha they were informed they could stay behind and make their own way.

Miroku drifted around the edges of the group, feeling like he was stalking Inuyasha. As he followed behind a clump of monks, he wondered if his closeness to Kagome was the problem or something else. Had _he_ done something before their confinement that had offended both Sango and Inuyasha? His murky memories gave him no clue. It didn't feel like truth or lie, he couldn't say he _knew_ either way. He knew Inuyasha blamed him for getting Kagome caught up in the Twin Mountain plots, but was there more?

"Inuyasha." He called and the half demon's ears flattened against his skull in agitation. "How far do we travel today?"

"What's it to you?" Inuyasha bit out. "It's just another day we can't hunt for shards." He glared at Miroku.

"We cannot abandon-" Miroku started calmly.

"Well I ain't, am I?" Inuyasha interrupted. "I'm takin' them all home, aren't I?"

Miroku didn't let his disquiet show in his posture or his expression. "I am merely curious, as I'm sure the others are, if any will be leaving us today. Will we reach anyone's home?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Couple of the farmers, we're gonna reach that village with the stupid monkey shrine."

"Monkey shrine?" Miroku repeated.

"Keh!" Inuyasha's ears twitched back and forth. "Don't you remember _anything?_ It's that stupid village with the stupid rock with the monkey holy guy attached to it."

"The pickling stone." Miroku said, the bit of memory floating back into place.

"Yeah, that one." Inuyasha said shortly. His eyes never met Miroku's, instead constantly scanning the tree line and over his strange mix of farmers and holy men, checking for danger. His ears flicked to and fro, alert.

Miroku walked in silence noting that the half-demon's whole body was tense. _He doesn't want to be here_, Miroku thought, or rather, _he doesn't want me here beside him._

Tinkling laughter reached him and they both turned to see what Kagome was so amused by. Manabu had Shippo on his shoulders and they were both waving their arms in a fantastic description of _something._ The girl gave another peal of laughter and Miroku was suddenly struck with a need to know what was so funny. He'd almost started to move in her direction when Inuyasha stopped him, a clawed hand thudding onto his chest.

"Didn't you come up here to ask me somethin'?" He growled, withdrawing his hand and folding his arms across his chest. He kept walking, forcing the monk to hurry to keep up.

Did he? Miroku sighed, the only topic he had to discuss was not going to soothe the half-demon. "My-" He stopped, cursing himself for the habit, Inuyasha hated when he called Kagome "My Lady," and started again. "_Kagome_ has not been practicing her meditation or control. If she ever wishes to be free of the sutra, she must practice."

"So?" Inuyasha quickened his pace a bit, forcing the Miroku to continue to jog. It was an annoying bit of power struggle Miroku could have done without. "She's been tired."

"I know, so I thought if we could stop a little earlier tonight-"

"No." Inuyasha said flatly.

"But-"

"No." Inuyasha repeated. "We've got too far to go. It can wait."

"No, it can't-" Miroku started again, starting to feel winded by the fast pace. He glanced around and discovered that they'd outpaced the rest of the group by a far distance.

"You just want an excuse to be alone with her." Inuyasha stopped suddenly and Miroku almost tripped over his staff. Poking a clawed finger into his chest Inuyasha growled. "But she don't want to be alone with you."

Miroku paled, his heart clenched. Did she say that? Or was Inuyasha just guessing from her actions? He shook it off. "It doesn't have to be with me." He managed around a lump in his throat. "With Hanako, or Taro, or even Eiko... She needs to practice and train. She's a danger to herself otherwise."

Something flickered in Inuyasha's eyes. His mouth settled in a line. "Can't she do it by herself? You just sit there with your eyes closed. I can sit with her."

"It's not something she can do alone, or you can do for her-"

"Why not?" Inuyasha growled, his ears were twitching madly as if trying to find the threat he felt.

"Because you don't know how, because she doesn't know how!" Miroku burst. "Someone needs to show her and guide her."

Inuyasha looked away, his ears flattening in distress. "It don't have to be you?"

Miroku was tempted to say yes. He tried to say yes. "No." He said finally. "It just has to be someone she can trust." It should be me, he thought. She trusts me. But she didn't, not anymore, because of a couple careless, frustrated words.

Inuyasha chewed on that and started walking again before he answered. "Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow." His pace was slower and his ears weren't twitching as much. "I'll tell her to pick someone."

Miroku nodded and kept walking. He'd thought that once they started traveling again that things would fall back into place and he'd have that satisfaction of doing the right thing back. He knew there would be tension as he and Kagome reintegrated back into the 'real world,' but he didn't think it would be so hard or painful. He felt like he was trying to stuff himself back into a life he didn't understand or fit into anymore. The Miroku hole in this world was circle and he'd become a square.

"I'm gonna scout ahead." Inuyasha said and jumped away.

Miroku watched him go, slowing his pace so that he fell back within the group. He glanced around and found Kagome again this time seriously listening to Eiko. She was starting to look wan and tired, even though they hadn't been traveling more than an hour or two. She caught him looking and flinched. He quickly looked away.

For years before he'd met her, or Inuyasha and the others, he'd traveled alone. He should be used to nothing but the company of his own thoughts. Now he found it a poor substitute for her girlish babble. When would things go back to normal for all of them? When would that feeling of satisfaction return? Perhaps they couldn't heal this chasm between them until all the others were gone. He felt a ghost of unease drift up his spine.

The thought of being alone with Sango, Inuyasha and Kagome was unnerving and he didn't know why. What happened? How did everything go so strange? Was it just the mountain, and the cells, and the long, time-twisted separation? Was it something more? He was sick to death of questions with no answers!

::0::0::

"Inuyasha." Miroku said and watched the familiar pattern of the dog-demon's ears twitching, and flattening and then coming up again. It had been two days since he'd let Miroku get close enough for a word or two with him or Kagome. They'd reached the home of the bushy haired monk, Hiroshi, and he'd finally managed to corner him. "The monks of Hiroshi's temple have offered us a place to stay for the night-"

"No." Inuyasha said shortly. "It's early. We can keep going."

"Just because we can, doesn't mean we should." Miroku argued. "My Lady is tired, and she has still not attempted any training-"

"No. We'll stay for lunch, then we're going."

"Is it just because I asked?" Miroku said, wanting to spit the words out hot and angry. Instead he kept his words even and un-challenging. "Inuyasha, have I done you some wrong?"

The half-demon froze. "Huh?"

Miroku slouched against his staff trying to look nonthreatening as possible. He'd been trying to just start a simple conversation with Inuyasha every day since they'd left the Twin Mountains. Inuyasha had been avoiding him as much as the half-demon had been fussing over Kagome. Miroku had tried to make peace with simply drifting along as part of the group. He thought there would be time later to reforge connections, to find his place again.

But he found he was tired of waiting. He was tired of waiting to see Kirara on the horizon, returning Sango. He was tired of waiting for Kagome to forgive him, because he knew she would, because she _had to. _And tired of waiting for Inuyasha to remember that Miroku was his friend, because he _was_ Inuyasha's friend.

So he found the words tumbling out, and decided to stand by them. "My memories have been slow to return, so I don't know if I have done something to upset you." He remembered childhood lessons in dealing with dogs. Don't look them in the eye, don't challenge, don't show your fear. Miroku was tired of being alone. "But you act as if I have-"

"Shut up." Inuyasha said, his ears so flat against his skull that they practically disappeared into his hair. "Don't be stupid." Miroku opened his mouth to say more and the half-demon was gone, not even bothering to give an excuse this time.

::0::0::

It was dark and Miroku still hadn't figured out what to do with his arms. Before, and the word before was coming to mean any time before the mountain cell, he used to sleep sitting up. Usually propped against a tree or a rock. He'd put his staff over his shoulder and rest his hands on it just so.

But it was not comfortable, and he couldn't see how he'd ever found it comfortable. And he knew that the farmers and the monks and the miko women and priests were all getting tired of the jangle, jangle jangle of his staff as he tried to settle himself. He was getting sick of it-

"Quit squirming, Bouzu, and go to sleep!" Inuyasha growled as he stalked past Miroku. He was looking around for his own perch, but Miroku was propped up against the only tree. There were others, but they were too far from the camp they'd chosen in the middle of the clearing. It felt odd to sleep so exposed, after so long with four walls close and a ceiling above.

Secretly, Miroku had hoped that Kagome might spread her bedroll somewhere close to the tree. He thought Inuyasha would most likely sleep in it and they usually slept close. The branches overhead might make her feel, like him, that there was a ceiling above. But she had seen him at the base and instead unrolled her sleeping bag close to the fire and flanked by Hanako and Eiko. Inuyasha had not liked that, and he'd stalked off to kill something for breakfast the next morning. His hunt had been unsuccessful, except for a few rabbits, but he seemed calmer.

Now he was looking restlessly for somewhere to sleep. He circled the tree like he would find some thing else on the other side besides more grass. Finally giving up, he jumped into the branches above Miroku and settled.

Miroku was not so lucky. He could feel the bark of the tree cutting into his back. There was a rock under his left thigh. He hadn't noticed it when he first sat down, but now it was pressing into him and making him have to shift-

"Quit moving!" Inuyasha hissed from above.

Sighing, Miroku gave up and set his staff aside, still in reach. He pulled the blanket he'd been given off of himself, balled it up and clutched it to him. It wasn't quite right. It wasn't big enough, or firm enough and it didn't smell of apples. But maybe now he wouldn't embarrass himself by shouting when he woke and Kagome wasn't beside him. Maybe. It hadn't worked yesterday, but there was a chance.

"Finally." He heard Inuyasha mutter.

Miroku glanced up at the branches and the red sleeve poking out among the turning leaves. "It's fall." He said, just realizing it. The summer had passed while they'd been confined.

"Go to sleep." Inuyasha growled and folded his arms across his chest, the splash of red disappearing into the leaves.

Miroku shifted to his back, his stomach compressed tight and uncomfortable. "I did do something?" He asked, resuming their conversation from the other day. He didn't have to worry that Inuyasha had forgotten.

The half-demon fidgeted. "Dammit, can't you remember on your own?"

"What did I do?" Miroku asked firmly.

"It... It ain't what you did." Inuyasha finally bit out. "It's what you're doing. You keep actin' weird."

"What am I doing that is so strange?" Miroku asked, frustrated.

Inuyasha shifted and the branch creaked underneath him. He uncrossed and recrossed his arms and finally stared down at Miroku silently before speaking. "You keep followin' Kagome around." He mumbled, looking back over the camp.

Miroku frowned. He'd hoped that all this avoidance and rudeness had been something more than just jealousy. "M... Kagome and I spent half a year in a tiny cell together. I suppose I have gotten used to worrying about her." He gestured with a hand. "It was my main concern for too long, I cannot just turn it off."

"It ain't just that." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Then what is it?" Miroku asked, letting a little of his frustration show. He was tried of being pushed to the edge and ignored.

"Go to sleep, Bouzu." Inuyasha said and his voice was tired and resigned.

"Inuyasha?"

The half demon didn't answer. Miroku shifted to his side again, hugging his blanket and knowing he was going to get no sleep tonight. He glanced up at the fire and saw Kagome watching him, looking worried. She ducked her head into her sleeping bag.

::0::0::

"Which way do we travel today?" Miroku asked Inuyasha. He was getting rather good at being a stalker. He didn't like it, but if he ever wanted to be able to talk to Kagome again, he had to settle what ever issue the half-demon had with his behavior. Inuyasha sighed, his ears flicking in tired agitation.

"We'll-" Inuyasha cursed and jumped to the side, pulling Tessiaga just as a great _something_ burst out of the long grass. The monster looked like he was nothing more than a giant demonic mass of grass and shrubbery.

"Shards!" The creature yelled, waving viney tentacles in the air. "Give me them!"

"My Lady," gasped Miroku. She still carried the shards. He ran towards her. "Create a barrier around My Lady!" He shouted, running toward her.

Reiki was the first to reach Kagome and circled her with her holy salt. "Stay there." She said harshly and Kagome froze with her foot half outside the salt.

"But I can help!" Kagome protested. "If I had an arrow-"

"It's you it's after." Reiki said, "Don't put others in danger by being reckless." She spun away to the side, holding her salt at the ready.

"Kagome!" Shippo danced outside of the salt. "I can't come in to you!"

"It proves Reiki's salt is working." Miroku said picking up the little fox. "Be patient until Inuyasha-"

There was a shriek as the thing seemed to separate in two. It parted around Inuyasha, ignoring him. It seemed to be made of plant matter and vines."The shards!" It gasped, and Miroku fleetingly wondered how it could talk. The two halves reformed and then collapsed in on itself. It skimmed, half submerged in the ground like a creature swimming through the surface of a pond.

It bowled along the ground and knocked farmers, mikos and priests to the ground without pausing. Miroku scrambled to get in front of Kagome, tossing Shippo out of harm's way and into Eiko's arms. The chubby miko looked determined as she pulled a small paper from her robes with her free hand. It looked like a little paper man with a square mark in the middle.

"Shikigami, PROTECT!" She called and tossed the paper into the air. It expanded and grew into a giant paper man, hovering in front of Miroku and Kagome. She nodded and clutching Shippo tighter to her ran out of the path of danger.

The plant demon paused. Did it have eyes? Miroku wondered. Could it see the giant paper man wavering in the breeze? He was amazed by Eiko's shikigami man, he had no idea the miko had any kind of power. The plant explored the edges of the paper man with leafy tendrils. It crackled with static bursts of holy power, but the plant wasn't even singed. With a growl of frustration the plant creature tore into the shikigami with vines, shredding it to little flutters of paper.

It was just enough of a distraction to let Inuyasha catch up the creature. He couldn't use the Wind Scar with Kagome and Miroku so close behind the thing. "Dammit!" He roared and used Tessiga like a giant machete chopping into the monster and sending plant matter flying everywhere. A vine flew into Miroku's face and squirmed trying to wrap itself around his neck. He pried it off and flung it away. The ground was becoming littered with wriggling bits of plant. As he watched to pieces of vine rejoined and twisted itself together to form a larger lump.

"It's regenerating!" Miroku called. "Everyone get out of the way and I'll open the wind tunnel." The farmers and holy people who'd gone to the edge of the clearing to watch the battle just looked at each other in confusion. He'd never told them about the wind tunnel he realized. They didn't understand. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He bellowed. They looked at each other and stepped about two paces to the side, not leaving a large enough channel for him to safely open the wind tunnel.

Inuyasha looked behind him at the spectators and grunted. "Damn fools!" He continued to hack away at the plant-thing, trying to keep it in small enough pieces to be harmless.

"Monk!" Kagome called from in her circle. "Get me an arrow so I can purify it!"

"We're handling this." Miroku bit out. "Reiki, more salt!"

"I don't have a limitless supply!" She protested, but flung a handful onto the hacked up bits. The demonic plants it hit shriveled black and stopped moving. She flung another handful at the main concentration of the plant, but wise to the danger it scattered like roaches then reformed. "I'm not wasting more on this, not unless you can gather it together."

"My Lady!" Taro called. "Where are you going?"

"What?" Miroku twisted around just in time to see Kagome step out of the salt circle and run towards one of the farmers. "My Lady!"

"Give me one of those!" She said grabbing the farmer's quiver and taking an arrow. "I'll purify it and then it- AUGH!" The plant thing had regrouped and while it was only half it's previous size it was twice as quick. It shot out a pair of vine tentacles and dragged her across the ground towards it. She clawed at the ground trying to halt it, barely managing to keep her grip on her arrow.

Taro darted out and grabbed her arms trying to pull her back. "My Lady!"

"Ow! Ow! Let go!" Kagome cried, "It hurts!" She kicked her legs trying to loosen the monster's grip. "Let go!"

Obediently Taro released her hands. The sudden loss of tension flipped Kagome over and she zipped over the ground towards the plant monster.

"I didn't mean _you!_" She yelled, looking at the young monk accusingly.

"I'm sorry!" Taro said and tried to run after her.

Miroku got to her first, just before she was pulled into the bristling mound of rebuilt plant matter. He stabbed his staff into the mass of greenery, tucked his arms under her armpits and pulled backwards digging his heels into the ground. "I've got you!" His staff glowed with holy power, pinning the creature in place. It couldn't get any closer, but it couldn't move away either."Inuyasha! Cut the vines!"

Inuyasha jumped forward and brought his sword down, severing the vines. Four more shot out of the plant creature scooting around the sword and running up Kagome's legs. It wrapped tightly around her and continued tugging her and Miroku closer. She was getting dangerously close to slicing herself on the sword. Inuyasha cursed and brought the sword back up.

"Fox fire!" Shippo yelled darting close and tossing fire on the plant.

It shrieked but didn't let go. The flames traveled up the vines and and started to lick at the hem of Kagome's kimono. Kagome gasped and kicked her legs but the creature continued to hold tight despite the flames.

"Hot! Hot!" Kagome yelled. "Hot!"

"Kagomeeee!" Shippo wailed. "I'm sorry!" He grabbed at her hair and tried to help Miroku tug her back.

Hanako ran over and poured water from her canteen over the flames, dousing them.. She grabbed one of the vines and her hands lit with a faint pearly blue light. It snapped in two and the beast howled and gave a mighty tug with the remaining vines pulling both Kagome and Miroku closer. Hanako tripped over her feet and fell back. Taro pulled her out of the way. Inuyasha growled. Kagome was too close to the monster to risk using his sword. Her left foot was encased in little creeping vines.

"Oh, _Kami_," she gave a hysterical giggle, panic tinging her voice. "It _tickles._" She squirmed in Miroku's grip.

"Stop it!" He grimaced. "I'll lose you!"

"I can't help it!" Kagome gasped and she was crying as she giggled. "It tickles!"

"Kagome!" Shippo whined, still clutching her hair. "Do something, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha growled and tossed aside his sword and started to tear into the creature with his claws. "This damn thing won't die! Does it have a shard?" The thing managed to squirm farther up Kagome's leg despite the damage Inuyasha was doing.

Kagome looked at the monster. "I don't see one." She stiffened and shrieked. "It's going up my kimono! Ew! _Ew!_ Get it off! Get it off! Perverted plant!!" She glared at Miroku. "Let me go so I can purify it!" She still clutched her arrow in her hand. "Purifying it works! Hanako proved it!"

"My Lady-"

"This is ridiculous!" Kagome shouted and with a surprising burst of strength wrenched herself free of Miroku's grip. He fell back on his rear and before he could grab her again the plant jerked her forward, practically into the center of it. She stabbed the arrow into the heart of the demonic shrub. "Take that!"

For a moment Miroku thought it was over. He expected the arrow to glow a blazing pink and the plant to be destroyed.

"What's going on?" Kagome gasped and the plant happily started to wrap her in a cocoon of vines and leaves. A vine wrapped around her wrists binding them together and to the faintly glowing arrow. She squirmed and tried to tug herself free. The plant wasn't even bothered by the arrow, using it as a trellis to grow up and reach out for her.

"Shaaaards..." It hissed.

"Why isn't it working?!" She screamed, quickly being overcome by the plant.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Shippo yelled, practically climbing up her hair to tear at the vines starting to wrap around her neck. The situation that had bordered on humorous a moment ago was quickly becoming terrifying.

"The sutra!" Miroku yelled, realizing the sutra meant to protect her was keeping her power sealed. "You have to remove it!" He started tearing at the vines around her back.

"I can't!" She screamed, panicked. "It's got my hands!"

"Where is it?" Inuyasha shouted tearing through the vines and grasses.

Kagome blushed. "It's... It's..."

"Spit it out, you dumb girl!" Inuyasha shouted.

"It's in my kimono, okay!" Kagome blazed back. "It's in my bra! Are you happy now!?"

Inuyasha actually froze, his face flaming red and claw poised to grab where she'd indicated. "What'd ya put it in a dumb place like that for?!"

"I didn't want to lose it!" Kagome shouted. "And it's not like I have any pockets!"

"Now isn't the time!" Miroku yelled. He tore away the vines from the front of her kimono and reached in.

"Miroku!" Shippo yelled from Kagome's shoulder. "Is that all you think of?!"

Kagome screamed, "To the left! To the left! HANDS!" She shook her head and Shippo went flying.

"I wasn't even trying that time." Miroku muttered, sparing a moment to despair that there wasn't even time to enjoy this, but finally found the slip of paper and tore it out.

There was a bright flash of pink and three blended shrieks. The concussion blast was even enough to throw Miroku back.

"I did it!" Kagome cheered. She stood up, dropped the arrow and dusted herself off. The demon plant monster had turned to ash. She saw a glimmer by her foot. "Hey!" She picked up a dusky gray shard. It instantly purified a bright healthy pink. "It did have a shard! Why didn't I see it bef-"

A few feet from her Inuyasha laid sprawled in the grass. He wasn't moving.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered. "Inuyasha! She shouted and ran over to him. "What... What happened?" His dog ears were gone and his hair was black. He was unconscious. She knelt down and checked him over. "He's breathing...But..." She looked up at the farmers and holy men and women just looking on. "What are you all just standing there for? Do something! Inuyasha is hurt!"

"Kagome-chan." Eiko said softly, cradling a small form in her arms. "The little fox."

"What?" Kagome gasped, and scrambled up. "Shippo!" She reached out, not even noticing the light pink glow dancing over her skin.

"Don't touch him!" Miroku yelled, launching himself up from the ground and grabbing her wrist. "Look at yourself! You've already purified Inuyasha, you could kill Shippo in your state!"

"W-what?" Kagome gasped, pulling away from him. She looked at her hands. "I...I... did that to Inuyasha?" She looked between Eiko and Miroku. "Is... Is Shippo okay?" She wrung her hands together, the pink cast to her skin intensified.

"He was just on the edge of the purity blast." Hanako said stepping forward. "I saw it, it just pushed him back a little."

"He's breathing fine." Eiko said reassuringly. "I think it just knocked him out. He's a little warm, so there might be a little fever."

"K-kagome?" The little form in Eiko's hand started to squirm and whine. "Kagomeeee..." Shippo whined. "I want Kagome! Where is she? Did she go home? Did they take her again? Kagomeeee..." He started to sniffle and give off small, pathetic, animalistic whines. "Kagome?"

"I'm right here." Kagome called, twining her fingers in an obvious attempt to stem the urge to reach for him again. "Shh.. Shh... Just rest." She looked at her hands. "How do I turn it off?" She looked up at Miroku who was standing close. He watched in fascination as the pink intensified as her agitation grew. "I have to turn it off!"

"The sutra." Taro said. "I have another..."

Kagome turned to him like a drowning man looks for land. She snatched it out of his hands. The pink light dimmed but didn't go away. "It won't turn off!"

Miroku grabbed her shoulders and turned her to him. "It never will." He said. "It's a part of you, of your blood and soul. You have to control it."

"But how?" She sobbed. She leaned into him and for a moment Miroku was completely distracted by the press of her body, so familiar and missed.

"Remember your lessons with Kaede." He said, keeping his voice calm. He smoothed his hands down her back. "Deep breaths..." He breathed in and out calmly, willing her to match with him. "Look inside yourself, and pull it in... Deep breaths."

She pulled back from him and looked at her hands. "It's gone." She turned towards Eiko.

"It's not gone."

She looked back at him, then looking at her hands again without a hint of pink. "But."

"It's the sutra that's controlling it." Miroku continued. "The moment you remove it or if you get too stressed, you'll lose control again."

She took Shippo from Eiko. "But it's fine now." She cuddled the whimpering kit to her. "Shh, Shh..." He snuffled and snuggled into her arms.

"My Lady," Miroku said, "Next time you might not be so lucky. Next time you might kill Shippo."

"I'd never-" She started.

"If he'd still been on your shoulder when I removed the sutra you could have killed him today." He said.

"Re-set up camp." Reiki interrupted, looking up from where she was kneeling by Inuyasha. "The Hanyo isn't going anywhere today."

"His _name_ is _Inuyasha_." Kagome hissed.

"He still isn't going anywhere today." Reiki said flatly. "And I'm not leaving until I recover as much salt as I can. If you'd just stayed in the circle the rest of us could have managed to destroy that thing. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at yourself." The exorcist stalked off.

"Don't agitate her while she's holding the little fox." Eiko scolded. She patted Kagome on the shoulder. "Why don't you go sit by your friend? He'll probably wake up soon, let's try to make him comfortable. Hanako? Could you get some blankets? Sato, can you get the others to gather firewood and send someone to collect water? Mariko, it's early... but why don't you start lunch? Anyone with healing skills should see if they can't find any herbs or remedies for fever, okay? I think there were some willow trees a little ways back, that'd be a good place to start." Everyone scrambled to obey and Miroku was surprised again by Eiko. She was surprisingly good in an emergency.

She put a guiding arm around Kagome and giggled. "I was surprised! He's rather attractive as a human, don't you think? What color are his eyes..." She walked Kagome over to Inuyasha.

::0::0::

Kagome looked up at the soft jangle of the staff, her eyes puffy and lost. "Monk?" She whispered and wiped her eyes.

"You didn't eat your dinner." Miroku said, sitting next to her with a small package in his hands. They'd put Inuyasha and Shippo in a secluded corner of the clearing, away from the main fire. They'd built them a small one for warmth, but Kagome hadn't been tending it and it was mostly embers now.

"Please, not now." She begged, looking back at Inuyasha, still black haired and unconscious. She'd laid Shippo next to him on her pillow and tucked a blanket around him. The little kit had been suffering from a fever and sore body, she stroked the little boy's back when he started to fuss in his sleep. Shippo had been awake off and on through the day, but Inuyasha hadn't even stirred.

Miroku handed her a riceball. "If you're going to stay awake until they wake up, you'll need something."

She nodded and took it, but didn't answer him. "When is he going to wake up?" She sniffled and he knew she was referring to Inuyasha.

"Probably once his demon blood is unsealed." Miroku said.

"Unsealed?" Kagome said looking up a him. Her fingers were tearing the riceball apart. "But, I thought I just purified him."

"Eat that." Miroku said, "Don't play with it."

Kagome automatically brought it up to her mouth and took a bite. She started to cry again.

"Don't." Miroku said and reached out for her. She flinched and he let his hands drop. "He can't be completely purified. His demonic power is written into his very bones. It merely retreated deep inside him as protection against your blast. You sealed his power away inside him. Even now I'm sure his blood is fighting against it, it's devoting all his energy to it." He gave her a sigh, "At least that is the theory Taro and the others have come up with. I, and the others, can still sense his youki, it's just very faint. Once it regains enough strength, he'll wake up. I'm sure of it, My Lady."

"Really?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes." Miroku wanted to scold her. He wanted to shake her and point out that besides hurting Inuyasha and Shippo she'd very nearly gotten herself killed. But now wasn't the time. "I'll get you a sleeping roll." He said, starting to rise. She'd had the others put Inuyasha in her strange sleeping bag. "You should rest."

"Will..." she started then looked away. "Never mind."

"What is it?" Miroku said standing and looking down at her.

She shook her head and wouldn't meet his eyes. "It's not important." She nibbled at the riceball and gave a little shiver.

"I'll be back in a moment." Miroku said.

When he returned she had finished the riceball and was curled up in the grass watching her two youkai friends sleep. She nibbled on her thumbnail and her eyes were dewy with unshed tears.

"I can't believe I did that." She whispered, looking very young. "I can't believe it."

"We always knew your power was great." Miroku said. "Now you must learn to control it. Imagine what one of your arrows could do to Naraku now."

She shuddered. "Imagine what it could have done to Shippo." She reached out smooth back Shippo's bangs. "Look what it did to Inuyasha." She curled into herself.

"You cannot change what is done." Miroku said softly and cast a blanket over her. She wrapped it around her and looked up at him. "You can only try to keep it from happening again."

She nodded. "Will..." She stopped again.

"What is it, My Lady?" He sat beside her and spread his hands. "You know you merely have to ask."

"Will you help me?" She asked in a rush, reaching forward and grabbing his hands. "I don't _ever_ want that to happen again." She shook her head and sighed. "Please, I know I was selfish before and I made you uncomfortable, but I won't do it again." She started crying again. "I'm doing everything wrong, and I know it, and I'm _sorry_-"

Miroku squeezed her hand in his and then reached forward to brush the tears off her cheeks. "You don't have to ask. Of course I will help you. We have come this far together, haven't we, My Lady?"

"Kagome?" Shippo fussed, his nose testing the air and cracking his eyes open. "Why are you crying? Did Miroku grope you again?"

"What? No." She said with a strangled giggle. She let go of Miroku's hand and turned her attention to Shippo. He reached for her and she picked him up. She smoothed back his bangs. "I think your fever is going down." She said, stroking the kit's cheek. "Are you hungry? Mariko made riceballs and soup."

The kit shook his head and snuggled into her chest. He was starved for comfort, not food. "I had a dream that you were gone again." He whispered.

"I'm right here," she said.

"Promise you'll stay?" Shippo said tucking himself up into a little ball in her arms. "Don't go away again."

"Oh, Shippo." She sighed, and smoothed his hair again. "I wish I could promise."

It was enough for the kit and he sighed and tucked himself even tighter against her. "Will you teach _me_ a song?"

"A song?" She asked, glancing at Miroku.

"Like the special one you taught Miroku, the one you sang with your brother." Shippo looked up at her with huge moist green eyes. "I don't understand why _he_ gets to know it and I don't." He pouted. He sniffled. "I thought you said I was family."

Kagome shot Miroku a glare. "Miroku was just teasing you." There was no way she was teaching the little fox "the song that doesn't end." They would _never_ hear the end of it.

Shippo looked at Miroku, and gave the monk a dirty look. "You lied?"

"I did no such thing." Miroku said. "My Lady taught me several entertaining songs."

Shippo looked back and forth between them, trying to figure out who was lying. "Why can't I learn any of them?" He whined. "Please?" He begged Kagome.

"Why is this so important to you?" Kagome sighed. "You don't want to hear me sing, I have a terrible voice."

"I don't care." Shippo fussed kicking a leg. "If I was _really_ family you'd teach me."

"I'll sing it." Miroku said, understanding the kit's need to secure his place with Kagome. "My Lady truly does dislike her voice, it took a lot of convincing to get her to sing for me." He scooted close enough that his shoulder bumped against hers. He stretched his arm behind her to support himself.

"Monk-" She started, her brows coming together and arms tightening on Shippo.

He held up a hand and leaned forward. "Don't worry," he whispered into her ear, almost too soft for her to hear. "Just think of this as my apology, for that morning."

He looked down at Shippo, "This song her mother likes."

She blinked at him, comprehension dawning.

"You always hurt the ones you love, the one you shouldn't hurt at all." He sang, his deep voice soft and husky. This was private, and there were others out there in the field who liked to listen to everything that passed between them. This wasn't for them. It was just for the woman and child sitting before him. "You always take the sweetest rose, and crush it till the petals fall."

Shippo sighed and relaxed. "This is a sad song," he sighed. "Your Mama likes it?"

"Yeah, she listens to it all the time. I think it reminds her of my father." Kagome smiled and the little boy's eyes drifted shut as Miroku finished the song, trailing off at the words Kagome still couldn't remember.

"Don't stop." Shippo said, glancing at Miroku, fighting to stay awake.

The monk smiled and leaned forward, pressing his weight subtly against Kagome, willing her to hear her apology in the words. He sang the lyrics again, and continued even after the kit was sound asleep. "You always break the kindest heart, with a hasty word you can't recall. So if I broke your heart last night... " he looked up at her. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"For what?" She asked, leaning back against him, the habits of the cave overruling the two week separation they'd had.

"My Lady, you did nothing wrong that morning." He said. "I was half asleep, and my words... I didn't mean them." He gave her a rather rueful look. "I rather enjoyed being used as a bedwarmer."

She sniffled. "No, it was my fault. I'm sorry. I didn't think-"

"Enough." Miroku said. "Let's set it aside. You have enough worries, My Lady."

"How can you do that, just put it away in a little box and forget it?"

Becoming increasingly aware of her curves as she settled back against him, he was glad she couldn't read minds. She'd be aware how very little he was able to "forget things." He shrugged and wrapped an arm around her. "I do what is necessary. Rest, My Lady. Tomorrow we'll start your training again."

He spread the pallet of her sleeping roll down next to Inuyasha. She shifted herself to lay back against it, keeping Shippo cradled to her chest. She struggled with her blanket, trying to figure out how to get it back over them without her arms free.

"Let me," Miroku chuckled, tugged it off and re-arranged it over her.

"Thanks." She said and yawned.

He took his own bedroll and laid it close to hers. She blinked at him and cast one guilty look towards Inuyasha. She didn't protest when he crawled in and laid facing her.

"Inuyasha will really be alright?" She asked. "What if he wakes up in the middle of the night?"

"I doubt he will wake before morning." Miroku reassured her. "But if he does, we have water and food here. I'm sure he'll wake us if he needs something." He was struck by a sudden thought. "But he might be upset by my presence." He said reluctantly. He sat up and started to gather his things. "It might be best if I slept with the others."

Kagome's hand darted out from underneath the blanket. "Don't go." She said. "Please. I don't want to be alone."

He nodded, but moved his bedroll so that there was a thin strip of grass between them. "As you wish, My Lady." He gave her a sudden boyish grin, his lavender eyes flashing. "I will leave it to you to explain to Inuyasha when he wakes." He settled onto the blanket, laying on his side so he could look at her.

"Oh, sure." Kagome's lips twitched, she couldn't resist that grin. "Give me the tough job." She rolled onto her back and turned her head towards Inuyasha. Her eyes darted over his form as if checking for a return of any of his demonic features. She stroked at Shippo's back. The kit was boneless against her, as loose as a rag doll. "I don't think he'll be too upset."

She glanced back to see a shadow pass over Miroku's features. "I mean," she said. "I don't think he'll be too upset at you." Her lips twisted and she suddenly looked close to tears. "I'm the one w-who _purified _him."

"I'm sure Inuyasha will understand." Miroku paused, and faded memories of some of Inuyasha and Kagome's spectacular fights filtered through his mind. "Eventually." His eyes twinkled as he added with a shrug. "Maybe."

Kagome laughed despite herself, "Oh, you." She covered her eyes with an arm, and Miroku was sure she was hiding watering eyes from him.

"Me." Miroku agreed. He sighed and looked up at the sky. Silence settled around them, broken only by Shippo's small snuffles of contentment and the crackling fire.

"Monk." She whispered, and he looked over to see her staring up at stars. "Does it make you nervous sometimes, that the sky is so big?"

Miroku shivered, and he knew exactly what she meant. After having a ceiling and four walls encompass their whole world for so long, sometimes he'd look up and be unnerved by the sheer vastness of the world around him.

"Yes." He answered, and was surprised at how vehement his voice sounded. "Especially when I am trying to sleep. It makes me feel... very small."

Kagome gave a little sigh. "_Yes,_" she said with satisfaction. "Exactly, that's exactly it." She turned her face to him. "The other day, when Inuyasha was carrying me I suddenly got really scared. I mean the sky was just so _big,_ and the ground was so far away, and I felt like I was _tiny._ It felt like I could slip right through his fingers and he wouldn't even notice." She shivered. "I started to feel... I don't even know, like the world was spinning or something. I started shaking and I nearly choked Inuyasha I was holding on to him so tight. I couldn't stop shaking."

She swallowed. "I think I really scared Inuyasha. We sat in a tree and he kept yelling at me to calm down and quit being stupid, that he wasn't going to drop me or anything." She looked back at Miroku. "It's not like I didn't _know_ that, but I just couldn't make him understand. _I _didn't understand."

"I can't figure out what to do with my arms." Miroku confessed. When Kagome turned to look at him, her confusion plain, he continued. "When I sleep. I _know_ I used to sleep sitting up, and held on to my staff. But now, when I try to settle that way I cannot get comfortable. Even now, laying down I can't figure out what to do with them. If I cross them over my chest," He did so, "my shoulders hurt. If I put them at my side, it feels unnatural. If I put them under my head, my hands fall asleep..." He trailed off, knowing that his voice was beginning to sound hysterical. He sighed and tried to relax. "And I know I am making too much of it, but I can't help obsessing over it." He looked at her, "I feel uncomfortable in my own skin, My Lady."

"Me too," she whispered and her eyes were shining. "I thought it was just me. Inuyasha keeps trying to argue with me, and I know that _before,_" and Miroku could tell that for her "before" in that tone meant before the mountain, "I used to argue with him a lot, that it was almost fun to argue. But now I just get so tired, and I can tell that Inuyasha thinks I'm _really_ mad at him or upset or something. And I'm _not._" She said emphatically. "I'm _not_ mad at him. I'm just tired." She smoothed her hands through Shippo's hair. "I just don't know how to act like the "me" he expects anymore."

"You are the wrong shape." Miroku nodded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, but he could see in her eyes that she understood.

"I thought before," Miroku explained, "that the me-shaped hole in this world was a circle, but I have become a square."

"Me too..." Kagome nodded. "And it's like I speak square-language and everyone else is speaking circle."

"Except me." Miroku reminded her.

"Except you." She sighed. "I guess we'll just have to re-learn the language. I thought everything would be so _easy_ once we escaped. I thought everything would just go back to normal."

"You would be with your man. We'd have our important task to solve, and we would just slip back into our lives." Miroku agreed.

"My man." Kagome repeated, and snorted. "It seemed so simple back in the cave. Why did I remember any of it, if I wasn't going to remember all of it?"

"There are very few people who enjoy inflicting pain on themselves," Miroku sighed. "And you were suffering enough. But even if things are..." he trailed off searching for the right word, "...confused... between the two of you, surely you don't doubt his feelings for you? He _is_ your man, no matter what other claims might lie against him."

Kagome stared at Miroku silently, but her gaze was turned inward. "It's... it's not that I doubt him," she whispered. "It's because I trust him so much. Inuyasha will always do the right thing, even if it's not the thing that will make him happy." Her gaze sharpened and she was looking at him again, "I want him to be happy, he deserves it. There's got to be some way to make that the right thing."

Her eyes were watery again when she looked at him. "It's just that... I might not be what makes him happy."

Miroku sighted and reached across the small divide to smooth his fingers over one of the hands curled over Shippo. "I grow tired of seeing you cry, My Lady. Don't forget about your own happiness as well. You are no less deserving then anyone else."

Kagome shivered at the feel of his callused fingertips over her knuckles. She reached out when he withdrew, wanting to prolong the contact. She caught a couple of his long fingers in her small hand. He smiled and curled his fingers around her hand.

"He's not mad at you." She whispered. "He told me you asked if you'd done something wrong. I think he's just a little weirded out because you keep chasing him around."

Miroku flinched. He was not a man used to confiding in others, and he was disturbed at the thought of Kagome and Inuyasha discussing him and his questions. "He blames me for getting you caught." He said.

"No-"

"He said as much when he took you to help capture the headman." Miroku said, his fingers tightening around her hand.

"He was angry." Kagome said. "He didn't mean it, you know that. He always says stupid stuff when he's mad."

"He was angry with _me._" Miroku said with quiet certainty. "Angry because I let you get caught, and because of that get into the state you're in now."

Kagome's eyes flashed. "And what "state" am I in?"

"Half-starved, confused, weakened in body and now with powers out of your control. All of that could be laid at my feet." Miroku said, he glanced over her at the sleeping Inuyasha. "What happened today could be seen as my fault."

"But that doesn't make any sense." Kagome said, squeezing his fingers. "We were all looking for a way to hide the shards. You just came up with one option, we all decided to try it. It's not like you _knew_ what was going to happen. We all thought the monks were still there, and if Master Shinryu still was... I bet he would have figured out a way to shield them. It was worth a try. How were we supposed to know what was really going on there? It's not like anyone said anything in the villages we came to before it." She paused and looked confused. "I don't think."

"Did we stop in villages along the way?" Miroku asked, more to himself then her. Were there warning signs and he'd just ignored them?

"Ooooh," Her hand clenched in his, "I don't know! That's so annoying! It's those little bits that are gone and you don't even realize it until you try to remember it." Her fingers loosened a little. "I still don't remember going into the village." She darted a look to him. "Do you?"

"No," he sighed. "My memories remain vague on most matters."

"But..." she bit her lip and looked away. "Never mind."

"Let's not have secrets between us." Miroku said jiggling her fingers to get her attention. "You are the only one who speaks my language." He reminded her with a grin. It faded and he looked apologetic. "I caused a rift between us- No, let me finish," He said when she started to interrupt. "I caused a rift between us when I did not tell you what was bothering me. Let's not do that again. I have _missed_ you, My Lady."

"I missed you too." Kagome confessed. "Taro would tell me something or Eiko, and I'd think "I wonder what Monk would think about that..." But then I couldn't talk to you and it felt lonely."

Feeling sufficiently warmed by the thought she had missed his company, he reminded her of the topic of their discussion. "What were you going say?"

She frowned in confusion before her face cleared in remembrance. It faded to a serious introspective look and he could tell she was choosing her words carefully. "You keep saying that your memories haven't returned like you can't do anything about it. But you haven't been trying... not at all! No, now you let _me_ finish!" She said when his mouth started to open. "Whenever Hanako or Taro or any of the others start telling stories, or playing memory games you wander off to talk to the farmers. It's like you're trying to avoid it, you already know the bad stuff. Don't you want to remember any of the good stuff too?"

"Bad stuff?" Miroku repeated, lifting an eyebrow. She had the most amusing way of speaking.

"Naraku, the wind tunnel, the shards..." She sighed. "The bad stuff." She looked at him earnestly, "There isn't anything worse... I mean, there isn't any more "bad stuff" to remember, I promise. You don't have to be afraid to remember."

Miroku paused. "I'm not afraid." He said finally.

"Do you _know_ it?" She asked, stressing "know" in the way they used to seal the truth when they played their guessing games in the cave. "Because you don't sound sure."

He dropped his gaze from her intent look. He studied the fingers in his hand. He bent forward, "Perhaps I choose to focus on making new," he kissed each fingertip in turn, "Pleasant," he turned her palm up to press a wet kiss on it. "Memories." The last word came out deep, rumbly and suggestive.

"Don't do that!" She said and jerked her hand away.

Kagome's eyes sparked and her fingers dug into the back of Shippo's

jacket. "Don't do that! You're just being sexy so you won't have to talk

about your memories! Stop avoiding it!"

"Kagome."

She blinked at his serious tone and the use of her name. "What...?"

"Calm down." Miroku said and his voice was odd and flat even to his own ears.

"Wh-"

"Kagome, you're glowing. Calm down."

Gasping Kagome looked at her hand, it had a faint pink shimmer to it. She quickly lifted her hands into the air. "Shippo!" she squeaked. "Take him! Take him!"

Miroku sat up and reached over, gently sliding the kitsune off of her chest and onto the blanket next to her. The kit whined at the loss of her body heat, but didn't wake. He curled up on himself and hugged his tail to his chest. Kagome inched away from him, putting a safe buffer between them, and looked at her hand horror. "Why? Why isn't the sutra working anymore?"

"It is working. Your power isn't leaving the confines of your body." Miroku said calmly. "That's all the sutra was designed to do, return your power to you instead of sending it out. But you are brimming with it, My Lady. Before the shrine took your power and used it in the barrier. Then it was just poured out into nothingness. Now it is building up and waits to be used, you called it out today to purify that plant yokai and the shard. That's the only way you've shown your power how to respond."

"I don't want to use it!" Kagome cried and Shippo flinched in his sleep. She bit her lip and continued in a lower voice. "I just want it to go away."

"It will never go away." Miroku said softly. "Not until you draw your last breath. You can only learn to live with it, control it, and use it safely and properly." He inched forward and smoothed back her bangs and wiped the frustrated tears from her cheeks. Cupping her face, the cool beads rolling across her cheek, he whispered. "You could do such amazing things, My Lady." He kissed her lightly, chastely, on the forehead.

Her face changed and she grabbed his hand before he could withdraw. "I'm scared." She said, looking determined. "But I won't run away if you won't."

"I'd never run away from you-" Miroku started.

"No, from your memories." Kagome said. "I'll start training, really training..." and her eyes slid away guiltily. He'd always thought her inability when Kaede had been teaching her was a bit forced, it seems he was right. She looked back up at him, "...if you start remembering, or at least really trying to remember."

"Why is this so important to you?"

She looked up at him, looked away and frowned. "I don't know. But it's like... right now you're broken..." She pulled his slack hand away from her face and threaded her fingers through his. He was struck again by how careless she was with his void. It was not even inches away from her fingertips. "We both are. You've been trying so hard to help me, I want to do something for you." She looked up at him hopefully. "Is it a deal?"

"If you really wanted to do something for me..." He said lowering his forehead to touch hers and deepening his voice, "you'd..." He trailed off and sighed when instead of blushing prettily and recoiling she just looked hurt instead. "It is a deal, My Lady."

She gave him a brilliant smile and leaned forward, pressing a friendly kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Monk." Unable to contain herself she leaned sat up and gave him a quick one armed hug, her other hand still twined with his.

She started to draw back but he held her close, pressing her to him for a moment more. He let her go before she could get uncomfortable. "You are no longer glowing." He said, pushing back her hair and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

She looked at her hands and gasped. The pearly glow was gone. "Thank goodness!" She yawned and glanced at Inuyasha, he still slept and there was still no sign of his demonic features. She smoothed her hand down Shippo's back, still slumbering between them. "Do you really think we can make it so it doesn't do that anymore?" She looked at her fingers like it might start glowing bright again at any moment. "I don't like it just coming out like that." She settled back down on her blanket.

"I'm certain of it." Miroku said, reluctantly settling back onto his lonely pallet. "But it will be easier if you have slept." He lifted a bushy brow suggestively.

She snorted. "Fine, fine. I'm going to sleep." She curled up on her side, wrapping herself protectively around Shippo and tugged her blanket up over her. She sighed and squirmed.

Miroku felt a ghost Kagome in his arms as his body remembered how she'd squirm next to him before drifting off to sleep. She had her nightly ritual, one he hadn't even noticed until it was missed. She'd wriggle closer to his heat, then sigh, stroke a hand up her arm, rub her feet together and then go boneless and drift to sleep. She her eyes fluttered and she caught him looking. She gave a faint, sleepy smile.

He reached out and then almost drew his hand back. He'd only just gotten her speaking to him again. He was uncertain of his own reactions and afraid she'd interpret some move that seemed natural to him as too forward. She just widened her smile and let him wind his fingers through hers. She closed her eyes and drifted off.

::0::0::

"My Lady!?" Miroku shouted, coming awake with a start and reaching for a body that wasn't there.

"What? What? Huh?" Kagome shot up into a sitting position and launching Shippo into a tumble. "What? I'm up! I'm up!"

"Kagomeeee..." Shippo whined. "I was sleeping..."

"Dammit, Bouzu!" Inuyasha said, clawing through Kagome's sleeping bag and sitting up in it's shredded remains. "She's right- What the fuck!?" He crouched among the fluff and fabric of the bag and looked around suspiciously. "What the hell happened?!"

"Inuyasha! You're awake!" Kagome launched herself at him, hugging him tight. "I'm so sorry! I thought I _killed_ you!" She pulled back and Inuyasha stiffened in shock as she ran hands over his ears. "They're back! I'm so happy! And your hands?" She grabbed them and flipped them over, nearly nicking herself on his claws. "Great! Everything's back to normal!"

She hugged him again. "Kami! I really thought you'd never wake up again." She started to sob. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it." She sat back and covered her eyes. She picked up a scrap of her sleeping bag and blew her nose, then took a closer look at the cloth. "Hey! What did you do to my sleeping bag?"

"What the hell!" Inuyasha fell back on his rear, totally confused. "Forget about the stupid bag! Why are you _glowing?!_"

::0::0::

_I'm back! With a bit of a longer chapter this time... - SocialExperiment_


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